


Altering the Past

by dragonfly_reborn



Series: Streams of Time [2]
Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: F/M, Reader-Insert, Sequel, WIP
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-25
Updated: 2017-06-24
Packaged: 2018-09-18 18:07:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 31,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9396971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonfly_reborn/pseuds/dragonfly_reborn
Summary: Story continues as you and Trunks successfully arrive in the past to relay a valuable message to Goku according to plan. Afterwards, you return to your own time to train for the upcoming battle, but more surprises lie in store for you. After an important secret gets out, you must choose who to trust and where you belong.Will these decisions strengthen your relationship with those you’ve known your whole life, or will everything fall apart and leave you heartbroken?Mirai Trunks x Reader





	1. Disembark

**Author's Note:**

> Sequel is here! Just a little FYI before we get started here: I'll be keeping it as close to the episodes as possible, but will not follow the original dialog from the episodes verbatim. I tend to find that boring, so why put my readers through it? Plus it'd be impossible to do so anyway with an additional character thrown into the mix. 
> 
> Also, I've been suffering in and out of writer's block on this baby, so I may need some ideas from you readers--who knows, it may be your idea that saves the story from hiatus. And many thanks to **SacredTear** for beta-ing this!

**Opening:** _Journey to the Past (Anastasia Soundtrack)_

**__**

Chapter 1  
**Disembark**  
\- - - - - - - - - -

A series of white waves flickered as the time machine landed steadily onto the rocky terrain after completing its first journey. From inside, Trunks pressed a button at the controls, causing the canopy to rise smoothly.

“Watch your head,” he warned, turning over his shoulder to you. 

You climbed out and floated to the ground, a few pebbles creaking under your shoes as your feet touched down. You stretched both arms over your head and walked over to the ledge for a better view of the destination surrounding you. 

_‘I never imagined the past would be this…quiet,’_ you thought, surprised that there weren’t any craters, military standing nearby, or buildings on the verge of crumbling. Never mind that you were out in the middle of nowhere, but it was still a tremendous change from your time.

“Hey, Trunks?” you called while continuing to take in your new surroundings. 

“Yeah?” 

“Do you think we’re in the right time?” 

The blue-eyed teen pressed a button on the machine, causing it to revert back to its capsule form. He picked it up from the ground and placed it back into the case, then walked over to join your side.

“I’m not entirely sure,” he admitted. “Since this is the first time the time machine’s been used, I guess the only way we’ll know is to wait for any signs of Freeza’s ship.” His eyes wandered out into the distance before over to you. “What’s wrong?” 

You blinked out of your revere at the feel of a hand gently brushing some of your hair behind your ear. You glanced at the hand then up at a pair of concerned blue eyes then its owner. If anyone else had asked the question, you would’ve kept to yourself; but knowing Trunks grew up in a similar situation, he’d understand where you were coming from.

“Just that, ever since I was really young I’ve wondered what my father was like and now that I have a chance to finally meet him, all I want is to tell him who I am, since you’ll get to. But I know that could cause more complications to this timeline and Kami knows what else.” You shook your head and tried to regain a rational composure. You hadn’t realized until now that coming to this time would cause you to wear your heart on your sleeve. 

Trunks slowly moved his hand from your hair to your cheek. “Hey, you just want him to know you’re his daughter. That’s nothing to be ashamed of,” he said reassuringly. “However, it’s probably still best that you don’t just as a precaution. The reason I need to tell him my name and relation to my parents is so it’ll be easier to explain the whole Super Saiyan part.” A small grin tugged at his lips as he scratched the side of his head with one finger and jokingly added, “That, and it’d be pretty awkward if he were given the antidote and message by an anonymous, right?”

You smiled and leaned more into his touch to savor the moment. “I’m glad you’re here, Trunks.” 

You levitated off the ground until the two of you were at eye-level and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. Trunks responded by slowly snaking his arms around your waist and returned to the innocent, yet blissful kiss.

Just then, two terrestrial ki’s expanded, drawing alertness and resulting in the both of you to reluctantly part from the kiss before looking up at the sky.

“Do you sense that?” Trunks asked. 

You nodded. “Yeah, there’s more than one,” you noted, “but they’re nothing to worry about.” 

“Well, you need to remember this is the past, ___. Their ki must have been considered powerful for this time’s standards,” Trunks explained before looking back to you, “but that’s beside the point. Remember what we agreed on before leaving?” 

You just rolled your eyes, mumbling, “Don’t worry, I didn’t forget.”

**/Meanwhile/**

Bulma and the Z-fighters continued climbing the steep ravines in order to preserve their ki; flying in this case would mean giving away their presence, and that was the last thing they’d want. A young Gohan helped Bulma climb to the top. Piccolo and Vegeta followed not too far, climbing over the top of one peak before the next.

Meanwhile, a reluctant Yamcha sauntered behind the group. Was he the only one among them who failed to see the logic in rushing off to battle, _right_ after being wished back to life? He kept this matter to himself until the situation overwhelmed him. 

“I…I don’t think I can do this you guys!”

Though this fell on the ears of the rest of the group, Gohan and Bulma were the only ones who acknowledged the outburst. The blue-haired woman sighed inwardly and shook her head; her boyfriend could be such a wuss at times…

= = = = = = =

Trunks rolled his sleeve back to look at his watch. “Guess it’s safe to say we made it to the right time after all.”

The two of you curtly nodded and made sure your ki’s were suppressed. Trunks had already made it clear that he would fight Freeza. After all, it was that lizard’s doing for wiping out the Saiyan race and constantly abusing Vegeta. Your dad had already gone one on one against Freeza, now it was the sole heir of prince Vegeta’s turn. 

Trunks slowly unsheathed his sword and looked over his shoulder to you. “Get ready.” 

Rather than speaking, you nodded and calmly began cracking your knuckles. 

Down below, a half cyborg Freeza floated out from the opened hatch of his spaceship, and touched down onto the foreign land known as Earth. But who ever said that he came alone? For standing beside him was his father, King Cold, along with umpteen elite soldiers.

“Now all of you begin your search!” had been the ruthless lizard’s first command after arriving on this new planet. “When you find them, show no mercy!” 

Little did he know, however, his men wouldn’t get as far as lifting their feet off the ground. As soon as Freeza and his father turned their backs, the sound of a blade swinging, along with a volley of rapid punches and kicks cut through the air. Surprised and curious, both Ice-jins froze in their tracks and turned around in time to see the severed and beaten remains of the soldiers fall to the ground. 

It was only a matter of seconds before two teenagers floated down and stood on the other side from the new pile of bodies. You stood beside Trunks and calmly resumed to cracking your knuckles. A soft gust of wind blew across the battleground, billowing both of your hair and jackets. 

After sheathing his sword, Trunks calmly spoke, “Ah, so _you_ must be Freeza.”

After an exchange of meaningless bantering with the mysterious youth, Freeza turned to the two soldiers behind him. “Foot soldiers!” 

“Sir!”

“Vaporize these little rodents,” he ordered then faced the soldiers remaining. “The rest of you spread out!” 

“Oh no, Trunks, they have us surrounded,” you commented dryly. Trunks stifled a chuckle. 

“I think it’s only fair to warn you guys: you don’t stand a _chance_ against us,” Trunks told them. 

“I highly doubt they’ll listen.” You glanced around and noticed something you hadn’t before: all of them wore a scouter over their left eye. A small grin played across your lips as an idea spawned. “But since we’ll have to fight them anyway, what do you say we keep our ki to a minimal?” 

Trunks smirked as he caught on and nodded slightly.

A green henchman along with a red one stepped up, impatient from the murmuring between you and Trunks, no doubt. 

“You kids don’t scare us!” barked the green henchman as he pressed a large button on his optical gadget. “Heh. His power is only at a level five.” 

You pursed your lips together to suppress a snicker while the red solider checked yours. 

“Same goes for the girl here,” he confirmed then aimed at you with the blaster gun strapped to his arm. “Well, Missy, I hope you said your prayers.” 

Unfazed by the situation, you hindered from any movement. But once a blast fired your way, in the blink of an eye, you held a hand out in front of you and tossed it over your head with ease, diverting it into the canyon wall behind you. Trunks did the same to the blasts fired at him. The two soldiers gawked briefly then resumed to firing more blasts at you and Trunks, only to have them tossed over and into the canyon wall, yet again. 

After growing bored from the repetitiveness, you impatiently cracked your knuckles. “Okay, this is really going nowhere!”

You charged forward, and reappeared before the red henchman then swiftly kicked him in the jaw, sending him crashing into the ship. You slapped your hands together then, without even turning around, crouched down in time to avoid a head-on collision as the green henchman was knocked in your direction, causing your hair to whip passed your eyes. You stood, tucking your hair behind your ears then calmly rejoined Trunks’ side, who resumed his stance.

“It seems the little dogs have some bite to go with their bark, after all,” Freeza remarked.

The rest of his henchmen charged towards the both of you. Trunks reached for the hilt of his sword before charging to meet the first half head-on, you following suit. 

The first one to come at you began to aim with his arm-gun, but you maneuvered around him. Within the time of his distraction, you jumped up and karate-chopped the base of his neck. Two more came at you from either side, both throwing a fist forward. You ducked and slammed your elbows into their guts. As they were about to drop to their knees while clutching their stomachs in agony, you rolled out of the way and grabbed the first solider who tried to attack you by his feet and swung him into the other two, sending the trio crashing through a window of Freeza’s ship. 

You stepped back and watched as the rest of the group charged at Trunks, only to have met his sword in clean slices across their midsections. The blade swung at the next soldier coming from behind. Once the remaining soldiers fell, Trunks re-sheathed his sword then you walked up and stood next to him once more. Both of you then turned and saw a wounded henchman back away, his eyes widening in horror. His scouter fell off after splitting vertically, along with the upper-half of his armor. Neither you nor Trunks made an attempt to finish him off, knowing he was now unarmed and no longer posed as a threat to those living in this time.

Just as the soldier backed away from you and Trunks, Freeza impaled his organic hand through the soldier’s chest then swiftly removed his hand, sending the lifeless body of the soldier to the ground. You clenched your fist tightly, harboring absolute disgust towards the short terrestrial. Sure, you were already aware that he was a heartless bastard from the stories you heard, but only after witnessing it first-hand did you loathe Freeza more. 

During this time, you glanced over at Trunks and could sense he felt along the same line, even if he wasn’t showing it externally.

Freeza looked back at you and Trunks, smirking. “I must admit I’m impressed.”

= = = = = = =

The Z-warriors gasped when sensing two new ki’s. Seeing the shocked looks from the group, Bulma became frantic. “Guys? Hey, what’s going on?!”

Though overwhelmed by this sudden turn of events, Krillin, once he found his voice, began to cue her in, “I’m sensing two _huge_ ki’s, and…” 

“And both make Freeza seem like _nothing_!” Tien finished for him.

The person standing in front of Bulma, Yamcha, stepped back nervously. “Y-you know guys, it’s not too late to turn back,” he suggested, trying to talk his way out of the situation. Regardless, even though they heard him and knew they’d be no match against Freeza and these two unknown fighters, none of them commented on the former bandit’s plea. 

The group remained tensed, not uttering a word. While in the front, Vegeta’s brows furrowed as a bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face. Although not willing to admit it, Freeza had been impossible even for him to defeat, and now there were two new ki’s to worry about; but Kakarot, uh, ‘Goku’ wasn’t one of them. 

Just what the hell was going on over there?

= = = = = = =

Now full of anger from being made a mockery of by you and Trunks, Freeza clenched his robotic hand into a fist. King Cold, who stood nearby the whole time, grew more impatient by the minute. “Just destroy them already, we haven’t got all day.”

“Really, Father! Have some patience!” 

“He’s right, though. You really don’t have all day—more like five minutes,” said Trunks. 

“You know, with all that time spent just standing there and ordering others to fight your battles, you could’ve easily have marched back onto your ship and found a mirror to practice on a better shit-eating grin,” you said. 

“Oh? That’s too bad,” Freeza replied. “And here I’ve made dinner plans.” 

“So I’ve heard. Well sorry, Freeza, but I’m canceling your date with Goku!” retorted Trunks.

A mirrored quizzical look crossed the pair. They briefly murmured something amongst themselves before the smaller Ice-jin looked back at you and Trunks inquiring, “So I take it the two of you actually know that worthless Saiyan?”

At that instant, the hair on the back of your neck started to bristle, much like an alpha wolf’s when threatening an invader in their territory. Your brows furrowed and both hands balled up into tight fists from that remark. Even if you had no memories of your dad, it still repulsed you to hear this low-life insult him. 

Trunks must’ve sensed your ki beginning to expand since he held an arm outward horizontally, blocking your path. His stern look remained fixated to Freeza. “By reputation; but we’ll meet soon,” he calmly replied, then addressed you through a whisper, “Listen, ___, you have every right to be upset right now; but you’re going to have to stick to the plan and leave these two to me.” 

“No. He’s gone too far, Trunks,” you argued. “He just insulted my dad! I won’t let him get away with that.” 

You grabbed onto a handful of his blue sleeve in attempt to shove his arm out of the way, but Trunks stiffened his arm so you couldn’t.

“And he won’t. But while I’m fighting both him and his father, I’ll be counting on you to keep an eye out for any signs of Gohan and the others. In case there’s any sort of trump-card Freeza has up his sleeve, it’ll be up to you to stop it.” 

Realizing he was right, your grip on his sleeve loosened, but not completely. 

“Alright; just make sure to humiliate the both of them more while you’re at it,” you said, while glaring at Freeza before releasing the demi-Saiyan’s sleeve and stepping back. Trunks curtly nodded to show he heard and would comply with your request. 

Freeza noticed the unabashed glare you sent him and smirked. “What’s wrong, Little Girl? Have I said something offensive?”

You sighed and used your pinky as a Q-tip to clean your ear. “You sure sound confident, for someone about to have their ass kicked a _second_ time.” 

Freeza clenched his fist angrily then aimed a single digit with a glowing red spark at the tip at you. “Nobody speaks to me that way, you _insolent_ —”

Before either Freeza could fire his deadly beam, or before you had time to crouch in your fighter’s stance, Trunks quickly moved completely in front of you, his hand gripping firmly onto the hilt of his sword. His piercing blue eyes sending a threatening glare to the Ice-jin, leaving him immobilized with fright.

“Enough kidding around! It’s time you understood who I _really_ am,” Trunks told them then threw a backwards glance to you. 

Catching on, you nodded and moved away. You fixated your glare on both Freeza and his father as you walked toward the nearest wall, leaning against it. 

“You’re about to find out what it’s like to fight a real Super Saiyan...” Trunks declared before smirking, “and I’m not talking about Goku.” 

**Closing:** _See Who I Am (Within Temptation)_

\- - - - - - - - -  
**_End of Ch.1_**  



	2. New, Yet Familiar Faces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to **Cass** for being the first to review this story. :)

  
**_Chapter 2  
New, Yet Familiar Faces_**  
\- - - - - - - - -

You casually leaned against the rock with one foot resting against it, both arms folded under your breasts. From the battlefield, Freeza’s overly annoying, cocky laugh echoed. But once Trunks’ hair and ki began to flare, causing the bodies of Freeza’s men to be blown away, both Ice-jins shared a look of shock, their eyes dilating in horror.

You mentally snickered at this. _‘Finally. I thought he’d never stop that idiotic laugh.’_

You brushed the tresses of hair away from your face, while continuing to watch the scene with a calm façade. You were too far to hear what was said, but guessed Trunks must’ve said something insulting, as Freeza switched from gawking to glowering and a gigantic beam materialized from his finger before firing it. The blast plummeted to the ground where Trunks stood, leaving a blanket of smoke. 

You shielded your eyes from the swarm of smoke. The faint sound of crackling nearby caused your heart to pound violently inside your chest. You lowered both arms and found yourself encased in thick layers of smoke and hot air. The tall wall of flame before you seemed to dance as if it were alive. The heat waves nipped viciously at your body, fanning your hair across your face as you could do nothing but stand there, petrified. 

It wasn’t that you thought Trunks was so weak to be subdued by a blast like that. But this fire, heat and smoke—this entire scene had happened before. How you knew this made no sense…you just knew. Beads of sweat began trailing down your face. You squeezed your upper arms and sank to your knees while coughing from the fumes. Your entire body trembled and breathing became ragged. Fear continued engulfing your senses and probing deeper into your subconscious, even when clutching your head in attempt to resist was gradually becoming a losing battle. 

_‘Stop it. **Stop** it. **Stop it**!!!’_

Just then, a familiar ki expanded and managed to grip your senses. Slowly, you lifted your head and saw Trunks standing in the heart of the inferno. His eyes immediately locked with yours, enough to inform you he sensed something was wrong. Out of panic, your ki began to flare, causing his own ki to expand until it towered yours enough to shield you from the smoke and flames. 

Unfortunately, there was nothing more he could do at the moment, not if it meant showing his back to the enemy. The young Prince continued to raise his ki at every attempt yours rose. Until, finally, you started to calm down but he didn’t lower his ki. Trunks wouldn’t lower his ki so you’d know he was nearby. Whatever caused this, he decided to find out and stop it. He didn’t want to see you…like this anymore. 

With a nod and shakily breath, you slowly stood but kept your eyes locked with those gorgeous teal-green eyes of his, becoming lost within them, making the heat waves and fire seem suddenly distant. Your ki gradually returned to normal and you rose to your feet with a faint smile, letting Trunks know you were all right just in time before the smoke parted. The both of you turned in time to see a renewed gawking Freeza.

This time, the furious Ice-jin sent out a more powerful blast but Trunks powered up and held his hands out. Your eyes followed, watching him skid passed you. But Trunks continued powering up until he successfully brought the blast to a halt. Next, he dispersed it into smaller blasts with his own ki, sending them showering across the plains. You stared up, watching the little light show.

After the dust settled, Trunks stood in the wake, unscathed, arms crossed in front of his eyes before he lowered them and smirked. Freeza clenched a fist then, at his beck and call, a blue henchman about as tall as King Cold emerged from the spaceship’s hatch and took off, away from the battleground. You pushed yourself away from the rock and dusted off your pants. Trunks must’ve noticed you hadn’t moved, since he threw you a glance but didn’t say anything.

_“I’m on it”_ , you mouthed to him then blasted off to follow after the guard.

From the battlefield, Freeza saw and smirked. “My, seems you don’t care for that girl’s safety, after all.” Trunks calmly turned his attention back to his own opponent, a stern look still resting upon his features. “It’d be _awfully_ foolish of her to think she can take my strongest soldier down, on her own.” 

Hearing this, Trunks arched an unimpressed brow. “If _that_ was your reinforcement, then the only one who should be worried is you.”

= = = = = = 

You kept your senses open for any unusual ki as you touched down onto one of the summits. You judged the distance to the next ledge before breaking into a sprint and sent both your arms and legs in front as you leapt over the gap. Now, more than ever, you were thankful for the long jumps as a part of your training back home.

You landed on your feet, bending your knees slightly to absorb the impact, and both arms out in front; your head tilted downward. You stood in place for a few seconds, trying to sense the enemy’s ki but there was nothing. This was going to be more difficult since the Z-fighters were also suppressing their ki. If you ever had any theories about Life having a wry sense of humor by sending you off on these wild goose chases, this would definitely confirm that. 

With no time to waste, you crouched down and pushed one foot behind you to gain the right amount of leverage, then broke into a run and leapt over to the next ledge.

Just before you left for the past, Bulma had explained that Vegeta and the others managed to defeat the first set of henchmen with half-hearted effort. But since this was Freeza, those were all merely pawns compared to his last resort—or trump card, as Trunks called it. They all fought valiantly against said trump card, but it all would’ve been in vain, had Goku not shown up in time. 

But that was the thing: he hadn’t arrived yet. Thus, it was up to you. Fighting this soldier wouldn’t be much of a problem, but defeating him _while_ remaining hidden from view and un-sensed by the others might. 

Then, all it took was a glance over one of the gorges and you spotted a group of people down below. Your eyes widened and you slowed from the run, peering over the ledge. Within an instant, you recognized two of them: one being your brother, but as a child, and the other was Bulma, who also looked different. 

_‘At least now I know they’re all okay.’_

Then, without realizing it, your foot slid forward, causing a rock to fall off ledge and bounce against the wall, all the way down until there was nothing. Seconds of silence ticked by until you heard an, “Oww”.

You stepped away just in time and clasped a hand over your chest. _‘Holy crap—that was close!’_

You sighed and turned so your back faced the ledge then opened your senses again. 

“There you are,” came a voice directly from behind. You whirled around to throw a backhanded punch, but the henchman brought a hand up and caught it. “Ooh, I like ‘em feisty.”

You gritted your teeth and went for a high-kick to his face, but he released your fist and jumped over to the platform across from yours. The both of you crouched into fighter stances. 

“Get lost, you pig!” 

He ‘hmph’ed, his head cocked sideways while his eyes slowly travelled up and down your body before he appeared before you. He gripped your chin tightly, not hiding the licentious look in his eyes. 

“If you like, I can give you a…private lesson on martial arts.” 

You shuttered from the innuendo then balled a hand into a fist by turning the palm side up then pulled it to your side. 

“How about _not_ ,” you calmly replied through your gritted teeth, with a closed-eye smile and twitching brow.

Next, you placed an iron-grip around his wrist with one hand, and created a fist with the other and slammed it into his gut. By the time he retracted his hand and clutched his stomach, you knee-bashed him in the groin. The soldier’s eyes bulged out as he closed his knees together and hunched over then fell to his side, where he coiled up on the floor, writhing in pain. You reached down and yanked him up by one of his arms and swung him in full circles.

“You!” 

**_Whoosh_**

“Are!” 

**_Whoosh_**

“Revolting!” 

You released and sent him flying straight into a canyon wall then slapped you hands together and muttered, “Good riddance.”

= = = = = = =

“Hey, did anyone else hear that just now?” asked a curious Gohan, who began looking around for the source, but never found it.

“Yeah, I did. But that couldn’t have been Goku or Freeza…” Krillin answered, who continued to nurse the new lump on his cranium. “So what caused that rock to fall on my head?” 

“Well, if it’s neither Goku nor Freeza, then it’s plausible it could be one of those unknown fighters,” Piccolo reasoned, looking from his right then to his left, “and if it is, we need to stay on our guard.” 

Hearing this caused the rest of the Z-fighters to take on fighter stances, while both Puar and Bulma looked around nervously—staying close to Yamcha, of course. 

_‘Shit! They already know we’re here! So much for being discreet.’_

A man with flame-shaped hair just crossed his arms. “Quiet! All of this mindless jabbering may have already alerted them that we’re here! Did your puny brains ever think about _that_?” He turned his back from the group, ignoring the owlish blinks and glared daggers sent by the others.

Hearing this, you couldn’t help but snicker to yourself. _‘That’s got to be Vegeta, all right. I wasn’t sure at first because of that pink shirt—not that I want to know what that’s about.’_

While relieved to have remained hidden from view, you stretched both arms over your head and decided to watch the ongoing fight from afar. Suddenly, a figure flew into the air and created gigantic vermilion orb before throwing it towards the ground. You instantly knew who created it, though unaware of its purpose. 

“Everyone get down!!!” Krillin warned the others down below.

_‘Why? It can’t reach us from—’_

Before you were able to finish that thought, the ground quaked which caused you to lose your balance and land on your backside near the ledge. Luckily, you were able to grab onto the ledge in time, until a strong gust of wind blew in your direction and caused you to lose your grip. 

“They’re right there! Look, you guys!” 

The group turned towards the young Gohan, who pointed up to a particular spot in the sky. The others looked up in time to witness Freeza being sliced and diced just moments before Trunks made quick use of his ki and blasted the remains away then sheathed his sword. The Super Saiyan looked over his shoulder to King Cold—who wasn’t exactly throwing a parade with what became of his son. 

“Huh? What’s that sound?” asked Krillin. 

Then, before any of the Z-fighters could speak, something—or rather some ** _one_** fell from the sky. The dwarf, nose-less fighter looked up, eyes widened. He tried to scramble out of the way, but it was too late. 

Rather than hitting the hard ground like you had expected, something broke your fall. Your eyes remained shut tight from the impact. 

“Oww… I it i ung,” you groaned. **(1)**

“Krillin! Are you alright?!” 

You tensed while it felt like your heart sunk to your stomach. _‘Uh-oh.’_

“Hey, where did she come from?”

_‘Crap!’_

“I don’t know… But, hey, she’s a cutie—Ow-ow-ow! Uh... T-that is, not as cute as you, Bulma! Honest! Could you let go of my ear now? Please?”

You slowly opened your eyes to be greeted by the awkwardness of multiple eyes staring at back you. You then glanced down at your right elbow, and found a head buried face down in the ground. Your eyes widened and you quickly scrambled off of the body before backing away a bit. The others continued to watch cautiously, not sure if whether or not to take on fighter stances. You felt them still staring so you gulped inwardly then mustered up the courage to lift your gaze to meet theirs. 

_‘I-it’s them…!’_

“Who…are you?” asked the one you recognized from pictures as Tien, who had moved in front of his friend, Chiaotzu, unsure if you were friend or foe. “How long have you been spying on us?” 

You remained silent.

“Answer the questions, Girl!” Vegeta demanded. You directed your gaze over towards the man in pink, unfazed by his extremely short temper. “Well…?”

“I’m not a spy, if that’s what you all thought,” you calmly replied, answering Tien’s second question. 

By then, Krillin sat up, shook his head and looked at you, millions of questions swirling through his head. You resisted the urge in offering to help him up as the group clearly still didn’t trust you and might have suspected you were trying to trick their friend. All you could do was bring your hands together in an apologetic manner instead before facing everyone again. 

“I’m not here to fight any of you, either.” 

While poking his head out from behind his friend’s pant leg, Chiaotzu scrutinized you as best he could from where he was. If you were lying, you wouldn’t have been able to look directly at them. 

“You’re one of two who challenged Freeza, right?” he asked timidly. “Does this mean you don’t work for him?” 

Even though said Ice-jin was finished for good, your nose still wrinkled in disgust at the mention of the tyrant’s name. As much as you wished they hadn’t known about you and Trunks being at the same spot, it looked you didn’t have much choice. 

You shook your head. “No, I don’t,” you replied truthfully. 

“So wait, if you were over there then you must know who that other ki belongs to,” Gohan said, piecing the information together. 

You faced the child counterpart of your brother, unsure how to answer that. “Well, uh…”

“So then what are you doing here if your friend’s still over there?” asked the Namekian from the back of the group.

_‘That must be Gohan’s trainer: Piccolo.’_ “My friend has his reasons for fighting Freeza by himself, and he wouldn’t have needed my help anyway.” 

You could tell by their expressions they were still puzzled or frustrated from your lack of willing to cooperate. Well, it’s not like you could spoon-feed them the whole truth. You took a deep breath, thinking of a solution around this that could perhaps earn you at least a small bit of their trust while avoiding any unnecessary complications. 

“My friend will take care of the other Ice-jin on his own, and we received word that Freeza plans to unleash one of his minions to destroy all of the inhabitants of this planet; that’s why I stepped in, but now I must meet up with my friend.”

“If you think I’m going to let you off just because you defeated one of Freeza’s men, think again!”

_‘Bulma was right: Vegeta wasn’t the easiest person to deal with. How can I protect everyone without messing up history?’_ “You may all come with me then, as long as you all remain at a distance.”

“Hmph! For _your_ sake, Girl, this better not be a trap!” Vegeta threatened, then blasted off towards the direction where Trunks and King Cold faced off. 

Piccolo was the next to take flight; he wasn’t as impatient as the cranky Saiyan, but it was obvious you were hiding something. Since he no longer terrorized Earthlings, sometimes the only way to find answers is by investigating. Should you suddenly try to pull something, they would be stronger by teaming up. Both Krillin and Gohan took off at the same time. 

An amused smile tugged at your lips and you shook your head slightly. _‘Dad’s friends certainly are an interesting lot,’_ you thought then blasted off. 

“Man, can’t miss this!” exclaimed a suddenly brave Yamcha. 

Just as he prepared to go airborne, Bulma interjected. “Hold it, Buddy Boy!” she protested, wrapping her arms around her boyfriend’s neck. “I’m _not_ being left behind again!”

= = = = = =

When you finally saw the rest of the Z-fighters up ahead, you flew ahead of them until you were in front of them then held your arms in opposite direction, stopping them from advancing further.

“I think it would be safe for you all to wait here,” you explained. “If Freeza’s dad somehow manages to get by my friend, I’ll stop him myself before he has a chance to come after you all.” 

You flew on ahead and touched down next to Trunks. He held the blade’s end of his sword in one hand and launched a ki blast with the other, sending a fatally wounded King Cold crashing against a canyon wall. After what seemed to be a brave front, the taller Ice-jin couldn’t back it up and was permanently silenced. Trunks turned to see you standing next to him. The two of you exchanged nods then held out a hand, blasting Freeza’s spaceship, destroying it completely. Trunks sheathed his sword then tilted his head upward, both his golden hair and green eyes returned to their original color; his golden ki gradually dissipated.

“Hey, uh…” you whispered sheepishly, “we got company.” You nodded towards the Z-fighters who hovered in the distance. Trunks turned toward them and didn’t reprimand you like you thought he would; but that didn’t mean you were expecting for what would happened next.

“We’re off to a place near here to meet with Goku, would you guys like to come?” 

You gaped and smacked your forehead. “Trunks—what’re you _doing_?!” you hissed through your gritted teeth, but the lavender-haired teen didn’t answer. You hesitantly glanced back toward the others, who seemed to be discussing this amongst themselves. 

“Come on, it’s this way!” Trunks urged, pointing to his left. When no response came, he jokingly added, “Don’t worry, we won’t bite!” He then turned and blasted off. You shot one last glance to the others before quickly taking off to catch up with Trunks, who had yet to answer your question.

“Why did you tell them who we were meeting?”

“Well, they already saw us; there wasn’t much choice,” Trunks explained then looked at you, his lavender hair blowing across his forehead. “Besides, there wouldn’t be enough fuel in the time machine if we went back further to try again _and_ tried making it home. As long as we don’t give anything too great away, we can still pull this off.”

You sighed then looked back over the howling wind to see Gohan and the others were indeed following, at a distance, but still following nonetheless. It was rather nice seeing everyone in person, verses old and faded pictures; but that’s what also made it difficult. You didn’t want to remain distant, giving all of them a reason to be skeptic of you. Hopefully, your dad wouldn’t be that way. 

“Al _right._ But if your mom finds out, you’re on your own.”

“That’s the spirit,” Trunks said, smiling, then rolled his denim sleeve back to look at his watch. “Wow! My tracking unit still reads the original satellite. You rule, Gramps!” 

“So this is the spot?” you inquired. 

Trunks looked back at you and nodded. “Yeah, this is it.” 

The two of you descended and touched down, the others followed and gathered. You and Trunks looked at the group, and could tell by their faces, several questions were mounting. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the reason why you came and only hoped that they would understand.

Trunks slowly reached into his upper pocket while observing the group’s reaction.

“Look out, you guys! He’s up to something!” Yamcha exclaimed. 

You felt a snicker threaten to rise at that instant. Fortunately, Trunks still stood next to you, offering his back for you to discreetly step behind and release the spasm. By the time you regained your composer and stepped back, Trunks had tossed a capsule to the ground and the dust dissipated. You both walked up to the mini refrigerator and Trunks crouched down and opened the door. The rest of the group watched with curiosity and caution.

“How about a cold drink?” Trunks offered, holding a can of soda in front of him. “Goku’s not due to arrive for two more hours; it’s pretty hot and dry out here.” 

He reached in the back for a can of [favorite soda] and handed it to you, ignoring the glare you gave him for mentioning the duration of your dad’s arrival, before he stood and opened the can in his own hand and took a sip. 

At first, only Bulma and Gohan approached the mini fridge. Gohan found an orange soda while Bulma reached for a root beer. Krillin, after sheepishly asking if there were any grape, also approached the fridge in favor of said soda. 

Then came the mind-boggling questions from the group. 

“Excuse me, Mister. But how do you know my dad?” Gohan asked politely.

“Actually, I haven’t met your dad before,” Trunks confessed. “I’ve only just heard about him.” 

“So then, how come you guys know he’s going to land at this spot in two hours?” asked Krillin, looking at Trunks then to you. 

Trunks looked at you, only to receive a ‘You’re the one who told them, you think of something’, look. 

Having no way to answer without the risks, Trunks averted his eyes to the ground. “That’s, uh… Sorry… I can’t say.” 

The conversations that followed were ones you’d never forget, such as Vegeta accusing Trunks of being a fake Super Saiyan. You continued swigging more of your soda to prevent yourself from telling the angry Prince off, knowing it would only result in one ugly battle if you did. After that, Bulma happened to notice the Capsule Corp. logo on Trunks’ jacket, leading up to him being dubbed ‘Mystery Man’. You brought a hand over your mouth to prevent the soda from spilling out due to the sudden urge to laugh. Then both Tien and Yamcha contributed with a couple of juvenile insults, something along the line about you and Trunks being secret agents. 

Thankfully, Bulma managed to get everyone off your cases. It was hard to believe that this was the same Bulma from your time, but suddenly remembered your mom had mentioned that the blue-haired woman hadn’t started to mellow out until after Trunks was born. 

You suddenly resisted the urge to roll your eyes when Bulma sent a quick wink toward Trunks. The latter remained silent, but anyone who looked would notice a deep crimson shade across his cheeks.

_‘…Wonder how she’d react if she knew he’s her future son.’_ You mentally shuttered with how that thought came out, then glanced down at your wrist and noticed a curious Gohan stare at your blue wrist pad tied around your wrist—well, technically a hand-me-down to him from Goku, but still.

“Excuse me, I was wondering where you got that from?” 

“Memento,” you replied, just before covering it up with your other hand. 

Gohan must’ve thought that it was a touchy subject and hung his head. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.” 

You suddenly felt awful for making a kid, let alone your own brother, feel bad. You crouched down so you were eye-level to him and laid a hand on either shoulder. Gohan blinked and looked up as you offered a friendly smile. “It’s alright. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

= = = = = =

“You’re just going to piss him off,” you warned while resting an elbow on your bouncing knee. Trunks sighed.

“I know, but…I’ve never seen my dad before,” he whispered. 

You yawned then watched your boyfriend chance another glance over at his father. 

Well…by this point it was pretty obvious.

“What are you looking at!?” growled the short-tempered Prince. 

“Oh, nothing, it’s just that…I like your shirt,” Trunks replied. You snickered, earning a light nudge in your side. “What’s so funny?” 

“I’m sorry, but ‘I like your shirt’? Where did _that_ come from?” 

Trunks sighed. “I just didn’t know what else to say…” 

You shifted slightly then leaned sideways, resting your head against his shoulder and closing your eyes. “All this waiting is killing me.” You opened one eye to notice Trunks smiling at you. “What is it?” 

He shook his head and faced the other side. “No, nothing.” 

It was a side of you he enjoyed seeing: relaxed and carefree. So much had changed in your time, mostly for the worst, but his blossoming relationship with you provided Trunks with another reason to fight and become stronger in order to regain those peaceful times he could now only vaguely recall from his childhood. Whether the future would ever return to an android-free world, one thing was certain: neither of you would face those battles alone.

“Why do you keep looking over here? Haven’t you ever seen a pink shirt before!?” Vegeta yelled. “If you like it that much, you can have it!”

Trunks snapped out of his reverie and faced the other way, ignoring the giggles coming from you. “No. No, thank you.” 

“Then knock it off, Kid!” Vegeta then looked at you. “You! What’re you laughing at!?”

You sat up and looked right, left, then back to Vegeta. “Who? Me?” you asked, pointing to yourself.

“Do not play dumb!!! Yes, you!” 

You briefly glanced around and noticed the rest of the group, minus Piccolo, watching this little skirmish. You casually shrugged—bad move on your part. 

“Uh, inside joke…?” you replied innocently.

Vegeta’s brows knitted tighter as he rose abruptly from his rock and stormed over, until…

“Hey chill out, Vegeta. Haven’t you ever heard of an inside joke? Who says it has anything to do with that shirt?” Both you and Vegeta looked, with mirrored arched brows, over to Bulma who was the one who interrupted. “Besides, I think you look rather handsome in it.” She winked at him. 

Both Vegeta’s mouth and brow twitched before he grunted in annoyance. Seemed the urge to beat you to a bloody pulp had left; instead he turned back to you and pointed at you and Trunks. “Not another word from either of you punks!” 

That said, Vegeta shoved both hands into his pockets and stormed back to his spot, grumbling under his breath. With his back still turned, you took the opportunity to stick your tongue out while crossing your eyes and giving a quick mock-salute to top it off. Both Krillin and Gohan saw this from their respective spots and snickered quietly to avoid being on the other end of the Saiyan’s wrath.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” Trunks whispered. 

You looked back at him. “Why? It’s not like he saw that.”

Trunks faced the other way, careful to avoid eye contact with Vegeta. “I meant leaving that moment open for my mom to, um…”—a dark red blush dusted across his face—“flirt with my dad.” 

You lightly rested a hand on his knee. “Hey, it’s alright. As long as my dad doesn’t tell them, you’re going to exist in this time.” 

Just then, your whispered conversation was interrupted when both Bulma and Yamcha broke into a short-lived verbal skirmish of their own. 

_‘Another hour of waiting?! Ugh! This **bites**!!!’_

= = = = = =

For awhile, no one moved or spoke save for Krillin, who tilted the empty soda can with his foot, only to have it tumble and make a _clank_ -like sound once it made contact with the ground. Vegeta sent an annoyed glare to the short Z-fighter.

“Oops! Sorry,” Krillin said.

After hearing a beep, you lifted your head up from Trunks’ shoulder and the two of you shared a glance then down at one of his sleeves. Trunks rolled his sleeve back then stood, facing the others. 

“That’s it, two hours have passed; Goku should be arriving any second now.” 

The others stood as well, staring up at the endless sky with building anticipation. You, on the other hand, remained seated as your heart pounded. For sixteen years, you had nothing but stories and photos to go by, but now you had the chance to finally meet your father, face to face. You listened to the excitement from the group minus Piccolo and Vegeta, who waited in silence. 

“My dad’s back!” Gohan rejoiced. 

You glanced sideways and felt happy for your brother, privileged to freely cheer about this without sounding suspicious. 

There came a small blink in the sky and in no time a space pod descended down to earth. It flew over you and the rest of the group, and crash-landed a few yards away.

“Last one there’s a rotten egg!” Krillin teased, getting a head start to reunite with his best friend. 

You waited for everyone else to take off, then scooted off the rock and gathered the courage to catch up. Just as you began to power up to blast off, you saw Trunks extending a hand out to you. 

“What are you waiting for?” you asked.

“For you; you still want to meet your dad, right?” asked Trunks, smiling. “Well, now’s your chance.”

Nodding, you smiled in gratitude and grasped his hand.

= = = = = =

Gohan was the first to arrive at the new crater, then Krillin, followed by the rest of the group. Both you and Trunks stood in the back. You watched the pod’s hatch open up and saw a tip of black hair sticking out. Trunks lightly squeezed your hand. You squeezed back.

Just then, Goku climbed out of the space pod and, although seeming glad to see his son and friends eager to greet him, couldn’t help but feel puzzled. “Huh? Hey guys!” 

From the outskirt of the crater, everyone minus Vegeta and Piccolo jumped up and down while cheering. 

While no one else was looking, Trunks leaned close to your ear and whispered, “If you want, I could give him the message and antidote while you wait here.” 

You shook your head and looked up from the crater to your companion. “I want to be there too. Besides, I doubt the others would wait without bombarding me with more questions.”

Goku had already made his way out of the crater and hovered down to the ground. “How in the world did you know that I was going to be here?” 

“These two told us,” replied Bulma, gesturing to you and Trunks. “I think they may be fans of yours.”

“They know all about you, Daddy!” Gohan exclaimed. 

Goku’s wide eyes blinked once his met yours and Trunks’. “But how?”

“They knew of the exact time and place of your arrival, Goku. They must’ve been tracking your ship in outer space, or something.”

“That’s impossible, we’ve never even met. But my gosh! What in the world happened here? Who defeated Freeza? You, Piccolo? Or was it you, Vegeta?”

“Neither of us did. It was this guy, he did it with ease,” the Namekian answered, nodding to Trunks. “He turned into a Super Saiyan and picked him apart.” 

Goku blinked then turned to face Trunks. “A Super Saiyan? I can’t believe it, that’s outstanding!” 

Everyone, including you, was taken aback by the Saiyan’s enthusiasm. 

“Can you imagine? A Super Saiyan at his age! Fantastic!” 

For a brief moment, you could’ve sworn you saw a spark ignite within your father’s eyes, as if eager to spar with another Super Saiyan. 

Before your dad could say more, a crossed Vegeta interrupted, “Hey! Aren’t you forgetting something!? You, your son and I are the _only_ Saiyans still alive!” 

Goku first looked to Vegeta, then back to Trunks before folding both arms over his chest and smiled. “Well, if he says he’s a Super Saiyan, then that’s good enough for me.” 

Frowning, Bulma placed both hands on her hips. “ _Honestly_ , Goku! You take things _way_ too lightly sometimes!” 

Goku simply shook his head. “No I don’t.”

Before your dad and Trunks’ mom could turn this into a trivial argument, you lightly nudged Trunks’ side. 

“Oh, right. Goku? Could we have a word with you? Just the three of us.” 

Goku nodded. “Alright then.”

\- - - - - - - - - -  
 ** _End of Ch. 2_**  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **(1)** “I bit my tongue.”


	3. Premonition and Partings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to the lovely and awesome reviewer: **Your Dedicated Reader** for reviewing! ^.^
> 
> I'll respond to your review in just a moment.

  
**_Chapter 3  
Premonition and Partings_**  
\- - - - - - - - - -

With his peripherals, Goku gestured to the other side of the crater and began leading you and Trunks after assuring the others he’d be fine. The three of you flew to your destination where you could tell him everything without interruption, but close enough so the group could still see their friend.

“Thanks, Man,” Trunks told to the older Saiyan, after touching down. 

You turned to face Goku and smiled. “Yes, thank you.”

“Hey, no problem; though, I should be thanking you,” Goku replied. “I had the chance to finish Freeza but I was only fooling myself, thinking he might change.”

You quietly listened to the two discuss their battles against Freeza. It was strange, ever since you arrived to this time you were anxious and nervous about meeting your dad, but now the swarm of butterflies in your stomach was gone; even though they had never met before, both your dad and Trunks were talking as if they had been old friends. There was just something about Goku, having this charismatic aura around him that made you feel like everything would be all right. That must have played a major influence in turning enemies like Piccolo and Vegeta into allies, not to mention he’d given Trunks the benefit of the doubt about being a Super Saiyan. 

If the world were left in the hands of anyone else with such a carefree nature, humanity would be screwed. 

Suddenly, your interest piqued upon hearing you dad mention a new technique he learned called Instant Transmition, causing both you and Trunks to stare in shock.

“You mean time travel?” asked Trunks.

“No, you dematerialize and travel as a mass of light,” Goku explained. “You’d be surprised how much ground you can cover going 186 thousand miles per second.” 

“That’s _amazing_!” you interrupted, fascinated. Goku looked at you and smiled.

“No kidding,” Trunks agreed. “I had no idea you had that ability.” 

“The people on Yardrat taught it to me! They weren’t very strong, but they knew some amazing techniques,” said Goku before jokingly adding, “and I think they liked me because I could eat almost as much as they could!” 

Hearing this caused a smile to tug at your lips and giggle, causing both Goku and Trunks to stop and look at you. Embarrassed by this, you shook your head to rid the crimson shade across your features and cleared your throat. “Uh…heh, s-sorry...” 

Goku simply smiled. “It’s alright.” 

All smiles and pleasantries soon faded once a serious matter came up.

“What a bummer. If I’d known you didn’t need my help with Freeza, we could’ve come to you while you were alone and avoided the risk of meeting the others!” Trunks affirmed, suddenly upset, his cerulean eyes downcast. 

You glanced at Trunks, and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. _‘I wish he’d stop blaming himself for things that aren’t his fault.’_

“The risk?” Goku questioned, still in the dark. “What do you mean?”

Both you and Trunks looked up from the ground so that your eyes met with older Saiyan’s.

“Okay. I don’t mind answering _that_ question…” Trunks replied, curling his hand over yours, cuing you to step back. Goku sent you a confused look, but all you could do was shrug. “But first, let me ask you something: Can you transform into a Super Saiyan at will?”

“Well, at first I wasn’t able. It happened spontaneously, but now I can control it,” Goku replied confidently.

“Can you show us right now?” Trunks asked, his voice becoming serious. 

Goku blinked quizzically. 

“Please, Goku,” Trunks urged. 

A few seconds passed until Goku finally agreed. “Okay.” 

Your father stood calmly still. In seconds, a golden flame-like aura surrounded him as his power expanded. His hair flared to a golden yellow and eyes changed from their usual onyx to teal green. Your face and eyes lit up in awe for a few moments then glanced over to the group on the other side who shared a similar, if not same reaction…while certain others were less than happy by this. 

_‘That’s right. This is the first time most of them have seen Dad as a Super Saiyan, too.’_

“What’s next, friend?” Goku asked.

“Now we’ll _both_ be Super Saiyans,” replied Trunks then he, too, powered up and transformed. It was now Goku’s turn to stare in awe. 

After exchanging a few more words, Trunks swiftly withdrew his sword and charged at Goku. Just as the blade was about to slice through your dad, Trunks suddenly stopped, sharing the same surprised look as you because Goku stood calmly in place instead of trying to evade the attack. 

“Why didn’t you try to avoid it?” Trunks asked angrily.

“I searched your feelings, so I knew you would stop,” Goku answered cockily.

_‘Wow, he’s good,’_ you thought to yourself. 

Of course you had seen Trunks’ attack patterns plenty of times, be it against the androids or training, yet Goku had seen through the teen’s actions before it happened.

Trunks jumped back and lowered his sword. “I see… Well this time I’m not going to stop. Got it?” 

With a new set of confidence, the youth lifted his weapon again.

“As you wish,” Goku answered. He lifted up his finger and generated his ki to the single digit. 

Trunks charged forward again and began his assault on Goku, one swing after another; with each swing your dad managed to block them, half-heartily. With one final swing, Trunks’ sword and Goku’s finger clashed against one another. The ki of the two Super Saiyans collided against one another, flaring strongly around them.

Trunks had told you in advance that he planned on testing his strength against Goku. Being curious yourself and wanting to see how strong your dad was, you didn’t mind at all. Not to mention you wanted to see how well your eyes could follow their movements, and you had a feeling your dad was enjoying this spar session just as much as Trunks was. 

After seeing a display of such power, you were left with admiration to know you were the daughter of a legendary hero.

Satisfied, Trunks withdrew, tossed his sword up in to the air and powered down. “Awesome; everything I’ve heard is true. You’re good—no, you’re great!” he exclaimed then tilted sideways so the sword would fall back into its sheath. 

Goku smiled and also powered down. 

“I feel like I can trust you, Goku; I had to know that for sure,” Trunks told him, waiting for you to rejoin them before continuing. “Sorry about all the secrecy, but we really need your word that you won’t tell _anybody_ else what we’re about to say.” 

“Well, I’ve never had a problem keeping secrets, but sure. You both have my word,” Goku assured.

“Thank you. My name is Trunks. This is going to sound really strange, but we’re not from this time; we traveled in a time machine twenty years from the future.” 

“Really? From the future? That’s incredible!” Goku marveled.

“Yes, Vegeta was right… Only he, yourself and Gohan have Saiyan blood,”—Trunks’ eyes quickly flicked over to Vegeta then back to Goku—“and I got mine from him. He’s my father.” 

“What?! You’re kidding!?” Goku said, shocked. “Wow! You’re absolutely sure that Vegeta is your father?!?” 

Trunks nodded curtly. “I’m half-Saiyan, half-Earthling.” He waited as Goku continued to stare in shock then turned around to Vegeta, comparing the two.

“Yes, yes. I can see the resemblance!”

“I’ll be born two years from now…” Trunks explained before being interrupted again by Goku’s antics.

“No kidding, Vegeta’s going to be a daddy! That’s incredible!” 

Just then, you held a hand to your forehead; as much as you respected your dad, you were also aware that he had his…shall we say, ‘blonde moments’. 

By this time Trunks promptly cut him off, “Goku, we didn’t come here to tell you that. We _have_ to talk to you about something.” 

You glanced down at Trunks’ hand and noticed it tremble slightly. Before you could reach for his hand, he put both hands into his pockets then used the chance with your dad not looking to offer you a smile to let you know he appreciated your sentiment, but he had to do this. Slowly, Trunks took a deep breath as he mentally prepared himself to tell your dad the news. 

Finally getting Goku’s attention back, the seventeen-year-old cleared his thoughts. 

“In three years, on the morning of May 12th at 10:00 AM, a horribly destructive duo will show up on an island nine miles southwest of South City. They have dreadful power—even by our standards. Once this pair surfaces, the Earth and everything you know will be gone for good.” 

“Are they aliens?” Goku asked, concerned. 

He saw you shake your head, but it was Trunks who continued explaining. “No. They’re both androids, created right here on Earth. Their creator is Gero, Dr. Gero. The mastermind responsible for the old Red Ribbon Army… Do you remember?” 

“But how? He lived?!” Goku asked blankly.

“Thanks to you. That’s one battle you’re going to wish you fought to the very end,” Trunks paused, seeing regret cloud Goku’s features. “Look, I’m sorry to say that, Goku. I know you’re a good person, but letting Dr. Gero escape was a mistake that will come back to haunt you and everyone you know. We’re still not sure where his laboratory is but if we knew, we’d be paying him a visit right now instead of you.” 

“What’s Dr. Gero trying to accomplish with them?” Goku asked. 

“They, the androids, never mentioned it. Despite all the times they have bragged about how strong they are, don’t seem interested on fulfilling whatever Gero intended for them at all,” you explained. “They even went so far as to turn on their own creator the moment they awoke.” 

Goku looked shocked.

“She’s right. They’ve had their own merciless, twisted agenda ever since. There’s no rhyme or reason to what they do. Living on Earth in our time is like living a nightmare, always running and hiding, looking for a way out,” Trunks explained. 

“Man, you defeated Frieza in a flash! Yet, from what you’re both saying, these androids are even stronger than you,” Goku surmised, concern apparent in both his features and voice.

“They are, for sure,” Trunks said, looking down. “Hunting us down is one of their favorite hobbies. It may be two against two…still, there’s not much we can do against them except run...” 

You noticed the anguish within Trunks’ eyes and voice, and rested a comforting hand on his shoulder then looked at Goku. “At first, the two only went on a few killing sprees, but over the years it’s gotten much worse. You can’t even pass through a street now without seeing buildings in ruins or bodies lying everywhere,” you tightly closed your eyes, willing the hot tears back. “Many cities have even been deserted, but not every survivor who’s fortunate enough to escape has anywhere to go.” You quickly pursed your lips just before the word ‘Dad’ could slip out at the very end. 

Fortunately, Goku hadn’t seemed to notice.

“What? What about all the others, aren’t they helping the both of you out?!” Goku asked worryingly. 

Both you and Trunks visibly winced, as if salt were poured over an open wound. You knew Goku hadn’t intended it…and this question would’ve arisen at some point.

“They can’t…they’re dead. Three years from now, the Z-fighters will all be dead,” Trunks responded, not waiting for Goku’s reaction. “We’re now the only two left, and are doing the best we can. They’ll all lose their lives to the androids in a horrible battle. There will be only one survivor. That is our master and close friend, Gohan.” 

Trunks balled his fists. He felt your hand resting on his shoulder slip off and hang limply at your side as you looked at your brother who stood on the other side of the crater through your bangs. For the time being, all Trunks could do was firmly grasp your hand in his, hoping that would provide at least some silent comfort, so neither of you would have to face the painful memories alone. 

“He narrowly escapes from that battle, but then…years later, they finally get him. That was three years ago, our time **(1)** ; and as you already know Piccolo is gone, so there’s no chance of reviving anyone with the Dragon Balls.” 

“Hey, wait…what happens to me? Do I die in the battle as well?” Goku asked. 

Closing your eyes, you shook your head then opened them and looked from your brother to your dad. 

“No…before that, I’m afraid,” you replied somberly. 

Trunks gently ran his thumb across your hand before looking at Goku again. “Not too long from now, you’re going to catch a new virus that attacks the heart… You’re going to die from it.” 

Goku almost fell over in shock. 

“Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. It’s a radical new virus, you’ll start hearing about it soon; not even a Super Saiyan can beat it.”

“What a bummer, being killed by a stupid virus! I want to fight those androids!” Goku said angrily, creating two fists. “I don’t even get to take a crack at them!”

You and Trunks blinked and looked at each other quizzically, then back to Goku.

“You mean after _everything_ you’ve heard, you still want to fight them? Aren’t you scared of them at all?!” asked Trunks.

“Well, sure a little bit… All challenges are scary at first, but maybe I can make a difference!” Goku said in determination. 

You and Trunks couldn’t help but smile.

“A guy like you probably could, you’re a true warrior. My mother and Gohan were right about you, Goku; we really _can_ trust you,” Trunks praised. You released his hand so he could reach into his upper pocket and walk over to Goku. “Take this, for your health.”

“My health?” Goku repeated, staring at the tiny vile being offered to him.

“It’s an antidote,” Trunks explained. “There’s no cure now for that nasty virus you’re going to get but in our time, there is,” 

“Wow awesome! It’s purple too, I’ll bet it’s grape flavored!” Goku rejoiced, holding the antidote over his head.

A smile tilted your lips at your father’s child-like antics.

“I really shouldn’t be doing this, because it’s going to change history… But _you_ can make a difference Goku; my mother told me you could, and now I believe her,” Trunks said somberly.

“Your mother knows me? Am I going to meet her, or do I already know her now?” Goku asked him. 

Your eyes moved over from your dad to Trunks and vice versa, anticipating where this was going. 

_‘Wait for it…!’_

“Now…” Trunks said, embarrassed.

“Oh, wow! I know your mom, huh? That’s bizarre! Does she live by me or something?” 

_‘Wait for it…!’_

“She’s standing right there,” Trunks answered, pointing to Bulma.

Goku fell over with the world’s most priceless expression. “B- _BULMA’S_ YOUR _MOTHER_?!?” 

From the other side of the crater, Piccolo blinked. His abnormally pointed ears allowed him, though involuntarily, to listen in on the conversation from a distance. 

“Wow! I thought Bulma was going to end up marrying Yamcha, but man— _Vegeta_?” Goku exclaimed, surprised.

“They don’t stay together for long… It’s, uh, more of a passionate kind of thing…” said Trunks, feeling embarrassed; hands in his pockets and eyes studying the ground. “Yamcha and my mother are going to break up and my mom falls in love with my dad; of course he could never admit that he loves my mother.”

“No shock there. Man oh man, they’re the feistiest two people I know,” said Goku, staring at the future couple standing on the other side of the crater.

“I don’t remember my dad so it’s really great to get to meet him. He’s a cranky guy, but he’s impressive,” said Trunks, looking over at his father then turned his attention back to Goku. “I know it’s bizarre, but they’ll find their way to each other pretty soon. But if they get _wind_ of it, it might not happen. Promise you won’t tell them, or I might not be born.” 

“Hey, not a problem,” Goku promised, smiling.

“Well, look, we need be off. Our families are worried sick about us and need to know that everything went ok. You take care, Goku,” Trunks said, smiling. 

“You too, both of you. Now that I’ve met you, I’ll be with you guys in spirit no matter where you go,” Goku said, smiling.

You and Trunks smiled back. Trunks gave him a thumb-up and you saluted with two fingers. However, right as you turned to take off, something tugged gently on your wrist. Startled, you whirled around and saw Goku’s hand enclosed around it. 

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” Goku said apologetically as he releasing your wrist, his other hand rubbing the back of his head. He then glanced towards your wrist and noticed the blue wrist pad tied around it. He looked up at you, as if remembering what he wanted to say. “Oh yeah, I don’t think I ever got your name.” 

You opened your mouth to speak but quickly caught yourself. Balling both fists, you gritted your teeth and lowered your gaze. Within the short period you’d spent in this time, a sense of solace had developed that gave you second thoughts about leaving. Your dad standing in front of you must have been the influence to this feeling. 

_‘I wish that I could tell you, Dad… I really do.’_

You suddenly felt calmed when two hands lay on your shoulders. Blinking, you looked up and saw Goku smiling warmly. 

“Hey, it’s alright, you don’t have to tell me if it’s too risky. Train hard, and hang in there.”

You smiled back and managed to whisper, “Thank you”. 

You fought back tears from blurring your vision. If you had allowed them to fall, you would have been so overcome by catacombs of emotions and not have the strength to resist giving your father a hug. It was all for the best, but at least you knew once you’d be born in this time line, that version of you would have a father who would love her. 

“Well, we need to be on our way now. It was really nice meeting you, Goku.” 

You offered one last close-eyed smile then turned to face Trunks then the two of you blasted off, leaving Goku to reunite with his son and friends.

= = = = = = =

You wiped your eyes before frowning in determination and with a burst of ki, you sped forward to catch up to Trunks. The lavender-haired teen flew ahead, never turning back. Once far enough, he took out his case of capsules and tossed the one containing the time machine to the ground. Once the puff of smoke dissipated, the both of you dove downward. You took one last long look over the horizon and closed your eyes as a solitary tear rolled down your cheek before a pair of comforting arms slowly embraced you, pulling you against a warm, firm chest.

“I know how you feel, not being able to tell your family who you are,” Trunks said. 

You lifted your hands, resting them over his arms. “Do we really have to go back right away?” you quavered. “I just feel as if there’s still more we can do here, so they won’t have to live in a world like ours.” 

Trunks gave a sad smile before he slowly turned you to face him, but you lowered your head, not wanting him to see you cry. He cupped your cheek so you would look at him then used the end of his one of sleeve to wipe the tears from your eyes, then kissed your forehead before drawing you into his embrace, slowly threading his fingers through your hair. 

“Don’t hide those from me,” he said softly. “It would be nice if we could, but we don’t belong anywhere except our own time. At least now that Goku knows about it, this time stands a chance.” 

You nuzzled closer into Trunks’ warm chest, listening to the calming rhythm of his beating heart while curling your fingers around his long sleeves. It felt so secure to be in his arms again, shielding you from the world. “Trunks?”

“Hmm?”

“Thanks for letting me come with you. I don’t regret any of it, at all.” 

You heard him say something, but were incoherent at the moment. You were melting into the touch of his fingertips caressing your cheek every now and then as they continued their ritual of threading through your hair. 

Before it could lull you off to sleep, Trunks spoke up, “Ready to go home, now?” 

You nodded and the both of you got in the time machine and took your seats. But instead of pressing the button to return to the future, Trunks drove it over until the two of you currently hovered in the air, watching the Z-fighters. 

“Just one last time,” he whispered.

= = = = = = =

“Look! There they are!” Yamcha exclaimed. Everyone paused and looked up where the time machine hovering in the air.

Through the canopy, you stared down to get one last memory of everyone. You could barely hear Trunks murmuring something but decided not to listen in, allowing him to say whatever was on his mind. Your eyes wandered over to three particular people. 

“Bulma, at first I wasn’t sure, but after meeting my dad and hearing his voice for the first time, I now know that Trunks and I can trust him; thank you for giving me the opportunity to meet him,” you paused and quickly glanced to Vegeta then over your shoulder at Trunks before adding, “also, congratulations with both future accounts. 

“I’m glad I got to see you again, Gohan. Even though we didn’t really get a chance to talk, I still look up to you and really miss you; I know that Mom and Trunks do, too. I promise to keep training and make you proud. Say ‘hi’ to Hire Dragon for me **(2)**.” 

Lastly, your eyes wandered over to one more person. 

“Thank you for trusting us and for giving me a reason to hope again, Dad; I’ll never forget what you told me. I’m so sorry that I couldn’t tell you my name. However, once I am born in this time, I want for that me to have memories of you; that’s the wish from her future self. I’m your daughter, and I’ll always love you.” 

You smiled and waved goodbye to Bulma and the Z-fighters with one hand, and reached around the side to find Trunks’ hand with the other. The two of you firmly grasped the each other’s hand just as you had before setting out to the past. Then, with a brilliant flash of white, the time machine disappeared. Returning you to the world loomed in shadows and nightmares.

\- - - - - - - - - -  
 ** _End of Ch.3_**  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **(1)** I know in the episode Trunks tells Goku that Gohan’s death occurred four years ago, but since this follows immediately after The History of Trunks special, it was still three years.
> 
> **(2)** In the uncut version of _Tree of Might_ , that’s the name given to the purple dragon instead of Icarus.


	4. An Everlasting Promise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♥ **Thank you to my lovely and awesome reviewers ♥**
> 
>  
> 
> **dreamflyer1100  
> **  
>  Yanelli

  
**_Chapter 4  
An Everlasting Promise_**  
\- - - - - - - - - -

The time machine landed gracefully onto the front lawn in the same spot before the journey was made. Once the egg-shaped canopy rose, you and Trunks unfastened your seatbelts and the latter was the first to climb out. You hadn’t expected him to climb out as quickly as he had, but your answers came once he turned to you and held his arms out. After hoisting yourself up from the seat, you leapt out and allowed the gravity to pull you down, knowing the blue-eyed prince would catch you before you would hit the ground. Trunks still held you and inherited a confused look when he saw your eyes and face suddenly lit up.

“You know what this means, don’t you?” you asked with barely suppressed excitement then wrapping both arms around Trunks’ neck. “It worked—we _actually_ traveled through time!” 

Trunks blinked then chuckled at your enthusiasm while cherishing the sight of your beautiful smile. 

The two of you stared into each other’s eyes then slowly drew closer, pressing your lips tenderly against one another. You both pulled away slowly, foreheads resting against one another and staring into each other’s eyes once more as if nothing else mattered. 

**_Click! Snap!_ **

Startled and confused, you both whirled toward the direction crumbling Capsule Corp. dome where Chichi and Bulma hid on the other side, eavesdropping on the tender moment between the two of you. They both held a camera in their possession, causing you to hide your face in your hands. You never enjoyed the sight of your mother with her camera, not one bit.

“You two look _so_ happy together!” Chichi chirped, stepping out in to the clearing with Bulma. Trunks set you down to your feet after assuring you they had put their cameras away. 

By the time you returned from the past, it was already starting to get dark. Not wanting to be a rude hostess by leaving everyone out in the front yard, Bulma invited both you and Chichi to stay for dinner and celebrate.

**//Meanwhile//**

Goku, Gohan and Piccolo continued flying towards Mount Paoz where they would spend the next three years training for the upcoming battle. Piccolo’s heightened sense of hearing picked up the entire conversation you and Trunks entrusted to Goku and believed that the others deserved to know as well. After explaining the situation, while leaving out any details that would endanger Trunks’ existence, it was up to each Z-fighter to decide if they would train and partake in the battle.

Both Goku and Piccolo now knew who Trunks was descended from, so that was one mystery solved, but it was still a mystery why you chose to remain anonymous and where did you come? If Gohan from the future was your mentor, were you also the child of one of the Z-fighters? Or possibly someone whom they had yet to meet?

“Hey, Piccolo!” 

The Namekian blinked out of his thoughts after hearing his name being called, and looked up to see Gohan flying beside him. 

“Ready for more intense training, Kid?” the Namekian asked.

Gohan nodded then exclaimed, “Yes, Sir!” 

Piccolo smirked. “Good. I can tell you’ve gotten stronger, Gohan, so I’ll expect you to give it your all.” 

Gohan beamed to hear those appraising words of his former sensei. But due to his closed-eye smile, the young demi-Saiyan hadn't noticed Goku stopped abruptly until after bumping into him. 

“Oww… What wrong, Dad?”

“Say, uh, son…how’s your mom been lately?” asked a suddenly nervous Goku, seeing as now they were hovering right above their house. Goku had not seen or spoken to his wife since leaving for Namek, and even refused to return home after his friends and family had gone through the trouble of gathering the Namekian dragonballs to wish him back to Earth. 

That was a year ago…

Gohan gulped audibly, recalling playing hooky from his studies due to the recent Freeza incident. “Well…” he began, gaze averting to the tapping of his index fingers together, “she threw my tutor out the window and chased him halfway down the mountains the other day. He was awfully mean, though… I also didn’t tell her about going off to go fight Freeza, so…” 

After hearing such an…interesting update, Goku chuckled nervously while rubbing the back of his head with his hand. “That sounds like your mom, alright.” 

Meanwhile, Piccolo just hovered in mid-air, staring blankly. Chichi may not have possessed the same kind of strength as both her husband and son, but any Earthling who carried a strong authoritative presence that even the world’s strongest man yielded to was certainly no pushover. Hopefully Chichi would comply by allowing Gohan to train—where was the sense in applying for some top-notched school if the world was destroyed? 

Of course, there were just _some_ battles the Namekian knew better than to get involved in. Goku was on his own.

“Huh? Something wrong, Piccolo?” Gohan asked, after realizing his former teacher was unusually quiet, even for someone as stoic as him. 

The Namek blinked out of his reverie, finding both Saiyans staring at him, waiting for a response. Not wanting to admit that even he found Chichi intimidating when she got angry, Piccolo cleared his throat. “Uh, n-no it’s nothing. You two go on ahead.” 

Goku was about to speak, but a voice belonging to another beat him to it.

“ ** _There_** you are, Gohan!!!” 

The three fighters absently gulped, due to the voice from the ground. Chichi stood at the front porch, arms folded over her chest and wearing her signature frown. “Where in the world were you?!? Do you have _any_ idea how worried I’ve been?! Hey—don’t you **dare** fly away while I’m speaking, _Mister_! You’re come down here this instant and get cleaned up, and then it’s time to hit the books! Is that c—” 

But upon seeing the taller figure hovering in the air with her son left Chichi stunned and pausing in mid-sentence. “G-Goku? Is that really you, Goku?” 

Goku smiled at his wife lovingly then touched down. “Of course it’s me,” he chuckled cheerfully. Suddenly, a sweet aroma wafted from the house and entered the Saiyan’s nostrils, causing his stomach to growl and his mouth to water. “Hey, Chichi, is dinner ready yet? I’m starving!” 

Chichi’s eyes brimmed with tears of joy as she ran into her beloved husband’s arms. 

Gohan wiped the sweat from his brow and sighed in relief, knowing he was off the hook. He decided to let his reunited parents be alone before telling his mom the plan of training for the next three years, and have a brief sparring session with Piccolo in the meantime.

**//Meanwhile//**

Bulma and Chichi partnered up in the kitchen and began preparing dinner. You had offered to help, but the two politely declined, saying they had everything under control and to just make yourself at home. You accepted their offer when you noticed your mom was in high spirits again. Not long after Gohan’s death, your grandfather had passed away. Even though it was just the two of you now and were barely getting by as it was, this world wasn’t making it easy by any means. It was still nice to see and cherish these peaceful moments and fight towards reclaiming them, hopefully in the not-so-distant future.

You rounded a corner of one of the numerous hallways as you looked for Trunks, too busy wondering where he was that you didn't notice the person in front of you until you bumped into their firm chest.

“Oh, sorry,” apologized the voice you recognized to be Trunks’. 

You stepped back and placed a hand behind your head. “That’s okay, I was actually looking for you; you disappeared so suddenly.”

“I just had to hang my sword up,” he replied, kneading his right shoulder a bit. 

“Are you alright?” 

Trunks smiled at your concern for him then nodded. “Yeah, the strap was beginning to bother me, that’s all. Um, do you want to join me outside? The roof?” 

“Okay, sure,” you replied. 

Trunks led the way towards the stairs since the balcony was outside his room. “We’ll be outside, Mom!” 

Bulma poked her head out from the kitchen before hollering, “Keep the door open!”

Both you and Trunks froze in your tracks, heat flooding to your faces.

= = = = = = =

The two of you stood on the balcony adjoining the outside of Trunks’ room. You leaned against the rail with overlapped arms, staring out at the horizon. Although your body language suggested a calm and relaxed exterior, your eyes showed you were back to being on your guard, ready to spring in to action at any signs of 17 and 18.

You sighed inwardly then tore your eyes from the depressing sight of the ruined city. Out of the corner of your eye, you could see a mixture of frustration, anger, as well as a bit of sadness swarm within the endless pools of Trunks’ eyes faster than his hand moments to his signature move, Burning Attack. Not wanting to see him in such a state for a second longer, you masked your ki then lightly pushed yourself away from the rail and noiselessly moved behind Trunks before tapping him on the shoulder. The demi-Saiyan was taken aback then looked at you then the floor to find your feet levitating off the ground then back to you. 

You grinned. “What, you act as though you’ve never seen anyone hover before.” 

Trunks blinked dumbfounded then scratched the back of his head after regaining his composure. “Well, uh, that’s because the second I turn around, you’re suddenly eye-level to me.”

You mocked-pouted and floated back down to the floor. 

“So what are you implying, Boxer Boy? We were once about the same height, you know,” you stated matter-of-factly. 

“‘Boxer Boy’? Really? What does that have to do with height?” asked Trunks, confused.

“…Shut up,” you muttered, folding your arms over your chest then stuck out your tongue. 

Trunks smiled and pulled you into a hug. “Don’t let your height bother you, it’s fine as it is.” 

The two of you hovered up towards the roof and you sat down beside him. Trunks glanced down at your hand and tentatively started reaching for it. As soon as you noticed this, you turned your palm up, allowing him to take it before you both twined your fingers together. You scooted closer to him, resting your head against his shoulder. 

“Aren’t you cold?” he asked. 

You shook your head, nuzzling closer. “Nope, not anymore.” Your head tilted up, locking your eyes with his as you were about to say something, but paused when noticing concern within his eyes. “What is it?” you asked breathlessly, lifting your head and started looking around intently, thinking that the androids could be nearby.

Trunks shook his head, ran his hand up and down your arm to reassure you, then curled the same arm around your waist. “Don’t worry, it isn’t the androids. There’s just something I need to tell you…though I’m not sure if whether or not it’ll scare you.” 

Though finding it extremely difficult for him ever intentionally scaring you, you rested a hand on his arm and nodded, willing to hear him out. “Go ahead and say whatever you need to, Trunks; I’m all ears.”

This earned you a small smile from Trunks as he tightened his hold on your briefly. “Thank you.” He rested his chin on top of your head and absently started playing with your hair. “Do you remember my fight with Freeza?” He paused and glanced down at you. After you nodded he continued, “After the fire broke out, I could sense your ki flaring rapidly so I looked over to where you stood and saw an expression of panic. Is there any way you can recall whatever made you terrified?” 

You blinked, perplexed and felt your forehead throb from you trying to force yourself to remember, causing you to stop and hold a hand over it. “I’m…no. Sorry…”

Trunks held your chin gently, but you continued to avoid eye-contact with him. 

“___, look at me,” he instructed softly and you slowly complied. “It’s okay, just don’t beat yourself up.” 

Finding comfort within both his eyes and words, you smiled. 

“You’re right. Thanks, Trunks,” you whispered. “Still, I want to know the cause is and find a way to prevent this from happening again; the last ones who I’d want to see me in such a state are the androids.”

“Perhaps it’s amnesia,” Trunks suggested. 

“Amnesia? But how?” you pried. “I thought you could only get it from severe head-injury.” 

Trunks shook his head. “I’m not an expert on it or anything, but I there are different possibilities. For example, it can also be from severe illness or a traumatic event. Can you recall your mom or Gohan ever discussing this with you?” he asked cautiously.

You thought it over for a moment then shook you head. “You’re actually the first person to have brought this up, now that I think about it… Do you think I have amnesia, Trunks?” you asked, curious while also scared. 

Trunks curled his other arm around your waist and pulled you against him. 

“I’m sorry, I just don’t know enough on it to have all the answers,” he replied sadly. “But I’m willing to help you remember; if you want me to, that is. If it is due to something traumatic, I wouldn’t want to trigger anything that would only end up hurting you.” 

You blinked, surprised, yet glad to know how much he really cared for you and how both his kind words and actions showed this. You moved both hands up and rested them on his shoulders as you thought this. It was also at that moment that you remembered something Gohan once told you and had stuck with you all these of years: Facing your fears was less painful. 

“I never really thought of that… But as long as remembering won’t leave me vulnerable during a battle, I’m going to have to take a chance,” you paused, debating whether or not to ask something else of Trunks, but then decided it would be for the best. “Would you mind doing something else for me?” you felt his hand from the back of your head move down to your upper back, and you lifted your head to stare in to his eyes. “Should I ever find myself in such a state again, I don’t want to be left alone…so I was hoping you’d be that person to stay by my side.”

Trunks smiled. “Yes, of course.”

Relieved, you wrapped your arms around the Saiyan Prince’s neck, resting your forehead against his. 

“Thank you, Trunks,” you whispered.

You stared into each other’s eyes for a moment then you leaned up, while softly closing your eyes, just seconds before your lips pressed lightly against his temple. Trunks pulled you closer, though your stomachs already pressed against one another. You felt your cheeks flush, becoming more aware of his ripped muscles and ribcage right against your stomach, but soon felt your own muscles relax as Trunks began kissing along your jaw line. 

Trunks’ fingers slowly moved up your back, leaving a trail of Goosebumps on your skin, causing you to shiver; the hair on your arms standing straight up. His hand moved to the back of your head and began softly stroking your hair as he leaned over and captured your lips with his own, his teeth lightly nibbling on your lower lip. You smiled inwardly and welcomed the questing tongue, feeling it slide into your mouth and explore the roof of your mouth, teeth, and the inside of your cheeks, becoming re-acquainted with your mouth. You sighed in bliss.

Trunks ran his tongue over yours, coaxing it in to battle. You accepted his challenge by running your along side of his, before both appendages started teasing each other, seeing how much one could push the other in hopes of gaining the upper hand to ensure victory for themselves. You had no idea where he’d gotten the courage to do this, but found it amusing and flattering nonetheless. As long as personal boundaries weren’t overstepped before they were ready, you didn’t mind. 

One of your hands moved up towards the back of his scalp and your fingers began running through his soft hair then started massaging his scalp by moving your fingers in small circles. Just then, a low rumbling noise reverberated from Trunks’ throat and ribcage, catching you off guard. The both of you pulled back, though both your hands remained unmoved. You blinked quizzically and the sound subsided until it became non-existent. Trunks blinked as well. 

“Uh, I hope you don’t think I’m an idiot for asking, but…was that… _purring_ coming from you?” you asked.

Trunks averted his eyes, biting his lower lip while his cheeks turned crimson. “Um…yeah. It must be my Saiyan side… Sorry about that.” 

You blinked again then rolled your eyes playfully, and then leaned closer so your lips were close enough to feel each other’s words. 

“Trunks, has anyone ever told you that you apologize too much?” you asked as you lightly pressed your lips against his, then pulled back a bit to stare into his eyes. “I may have been surprised, but not freaked out or mad; if you want to purr, then go ahead.” 

You moved one hand down to his chest then leaned up, pressing your lips to his, while your other hand resumed to gently massaging his scalp. The rumbling of Trunks’ purring steadily increased as he curled one hand and let it slowly travel down your back. You shivered against him once more, your hands feeling like putty for a moment before regaining feeling in them and resuming their ritual. 

Trunks then took the opportunity to run his tongue between your lips, dipping in the center and started to part them halfway before you opened your mouth and felt the pink muscle re-enter to continue where the battle left off. You mentally smirked at this; it seemed neither of you were satisfied with a draw. Back and forth, the two appendages wrestled within both yours and the demi-Saiyan’s mouth until a constricting, burning discomfort coursed through your lungs. Within the last second, Trunks quickly pinned his tongue over yours, securing victory for himself before the both of you parted. 

You rested your head against Trunks’ chest, waiting for the dizziness and swirling black dots to cease. When it finally did, you looked up and saw Trunks staring back at you, smiling and continuing to purr. You smiled back and slid your hand down so it rested behind his neck, then you sat up and nuzzled against him, closing your eyes and sighing contently when his warm arms wrapped around you.

“Those androids are going to regret ever hurting you,” Trunks said, his purring stopping. 

You looked up at him, wondering what he was referring to, then saw him motion towards the bruises on your neck, thanks to 17. Thankfully the makeup concealed them enough to prevent drawing any unwanted attention. You half-smiled then shifted slightly so you could rest your head on his strong shoulder.

“Just don’t go seeking for revenge anymore, okay?” you requested, though it sounded more like a plea. “I don’t want to lose any more loved ones.”

Trunks tightened his hold around you then kissed your forehead. “Don’t worry. Both you and Mom are too important to me; I don’t plan on dying anytime soon.” 

Suddenly, from the inside of the house, Bulma’s voice hollered, “Dinner’s ready you two!”

You and Trunks both looked towards the doorway, then back at each other.

“Do we really have to go back inside?” you whined, reluctant to leave your current spot. 

Trunks smiled softly as his arms loosened so you could stand. “If we don’t, Mom will become nosy.” 

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” you sighed then the both of you floated down on the balcony, your hand in his as you both made your way towards the kitchen.

= = = = = = =

Bulma, Chichi, Trunks and you sat at the table for dinner and shared about the trip to the past. Laughter filled the room, a rather pleasant and welcoming change of atmosphere compared to a room filled with dead silence.

Halfway during dinner, you pursed your lips at the comical comment Bulma made regarding Trunks consuming his food at an alarming rate, resulting in said demi-Saiyan trying in vain to suppress a blush. Of course, both you and the two older women were accustomed to witnessing this eating habit, considering Goku, Vegeta and Gohan were each bottomless pits when it came to eating. As a young child, you’d emulate your brother by eating your food ravenously until Chichi noticed this and had gotten you to eat in a more lady-like manner. 

Once dinner was out of the way, and the table cleared, Bulma announced she had some interesting news. As anxious as you were to hear it, you were immediately lost once she started mentioning names of complex machinery and gadgets. In a way, it was like trying to learn an entire new language in one setting. Both you and Chichi sat there with blank expressions. Sure, you had picked up on a few of the names, due to hearing them mentioned throughout the times you were over at Capsule Corp., but it still wasn’t enough to save your life.

You took this time to glance over at Trunks, who seemed to fully comprehend and even contributed to the conversation with his mom. In no time, a smile broadened Trunks’ face. “This is great!” 

Though still confused, seeing Trunks’ perfect smile was enough to assure you this was good news. Trunks suddenly turned to face you and pulled you into a hug. 

“__, you’re not going to believe this: we may be able to travel back again, after all!” he exclaimed. 

Chin pressed against his shoulder, you blinked perplexedly and continued trying to comprehend the information while allowing the pair of strong arms to stay where they were. 

Luckily, Trunks answered your unvoiced question. “See, Mom was just explaining after we left this morning, she was organizing some things and came across a charger from a previous invention, and we may be able to use it for the time machine!” 

“Well, first I need to see if it’ll be compatible with the time machine’s,” Bulma explained. “Some of the chargers were universal, whereas others are designed for a specific model. It’s difficult to tell, because both its capsule number and color is faded, and I didn’t want to open it without the time machine being here. But I think I may be able to know by tomorrow. If things go well, I think we can use it for the time machine; it ought to have enough fuel by the time Goku and everyone will have to fight the androids.” 

“But they’ve already gone back in time. Shouldn’t the advance warning have been all that was needed?” Chichi inquired. “And what about interfering with the timelines?”

“Well, warning Goku and giving him the antidote was important, yes; but remember neither Gohan nor Vegeta were Super Saiyans at the time, so even with all of the training, there’s a likely chance they’re still going to need all the help they can get,” Bulma explained. “Besides, the androids should never be underestimated, regardless of timeline.”

“So, basically,” you began, trying to piece the information together. “I’m assuming the charger you used either ran out of fuel, or was meant for a one-time use, and the charger you came across today supposedly has enough fuel that might work with the time machine.”

Bulma nodded. “That’s pretty much it. Goku and the others will need someone who has fought against the androids to aid them, and with the Z-fighters backing the both of you up, there’s a greater chance that you both might find some sort of weakness against the androids and can use that to defeat the ones here.”

Your face beamed with the signature Son-grin. 

“This is awesome!” you exclaimed, embracing Trunks back. “Hopefully I’ll be a Super Saiyan by then, too!” 

Chichi rose from her seat and rested a hand on your shoulder, smiling. “I’m really proud of you, ___.” After looking up at the clock on the wall, she glanced at Bulma, who nodded. Chichi then faced you. “I’ll stay for a while and help Bulma clean up. I imagine you’re tired after time traveling, so feel free go on ahead and I’ll see you at home.” 

Just before you could convince her you were fine, by sheer coincidence, a yawn left your lips. Trunks chuckled at that sight and, being the gentleman he was, offered to take you home. You took him up on his offer and thanked Bulma for her hospitality then waited for Trunks, who followed in tow and opened the front door then stood aside for you.

Once outside, you rubbed your arms once a crisp breeze fanned in your direction. You took this time to glance around before sighing in relief. There were no new craters roughly the size of a football stadium. Every time you saw or heard of a city reduced to smithereens made you wish Gero were still around in this timeline, just so you could personally give him hell for the monsters he unleashed in to the world. 

Unfortunately, that would never undo the damages that had already transpired. However, at least with the antidote and warning Goku, humanity of that timeline stood a chance. If anyone was guaranteed to save that world from its Armageddon, it’d be your dad. This plan just had to work; since it was a human who made both 17 and 18, there was bound to be a weakness in them since no human is without some sort of flaw. 

A strong arm curled around your waist, causing you to blink out of your reverie and look up at Trunks beside you.

“Let’s get you home.”

You nodded then tiredly rested your head against his shoulder and allowed him to pull you up as he lifted towards the sky and flew towards Mt. Pouz.

= = = = = = =

“So, what do you think?”

Chichi blinked from her spaced-out state then looked over to Bulma. “About what?” 

Bulma continued scrubbing the few grains of rice off the plate before rinsing it and handed it to Chichi to dry before replying, “___ and Trunks. I recall asking you this once before and it seemed to leave you shocked, yet now you seem to have a different view on them being together.”

“Oh, it’s not that,” Chichi clarified. “Besides, Trunks is a good kid.” 

“Then what is it that’s made you pensive all of a sudden?” Bulma asked. 

Chichi paused from drying the plate she was still holding. “It’s just that, I’m beginning to wonder if not telling ___ she isn’t really my, or Goku’s, daughter was the right thing to do. She’s been training so hard, trying to achieve something that her full-human blood will never allow her to have. I can’t help but feel guilty for not telling her the truth, but I also fear for how she may react.” 

Bulma came over and rested a hand on the slightly younger woman’s shoulder. “Chichi, taking in and raising an orphan infant as your own is not a crime. ___ may be the strongest human out there, but she’s also still a child and no child should be homeless or without a family; even if that family is far from kin.”

Chichi smiled at this. Goku had been in a similar situation. He too had lost both his home and parents during infancy. Yet it was his kind-hearted, surrogate grandfather, Gohan Sr., who took the boy in and raised him as his own grandson. Blood-ties and origins had mattered not in the least. 

“As for your decision,” Bulma continued, “it’s not my place to tell you what you should do, so I’ve never told Trunks either. Not that I think this would matter to him but if ___ does find out, or if you ever do decide to tell her, I think she deserves to have at least one other person who didn’t know to turn to. Since she and Trunks are already close, I figured ___ would likely choose him.”

= = = = = = =

“Home sweet home,” you whispered as both you and Trunks touched down in front of your cottage dome on top of Mt. Pouz.

Trunks wavered between staying at least until Chichi returned, or head back to West City after seeing you home. Suddenly, his stomach decided to chime in by deciding for him. 

You turned to face him, raising a brow. “Was that your stomach just now?” 

Trunks rubbed the back of his head, seemingly embarrassed that you had heard it before nodding. You smiled, shaking your head slightly in amusement, then headed towards the door while pulling out your house keys from your pocket. 

“I’ll fix up something then,” you offered, feeling a bit nervous, having never cooked for someone else before, let alone your boyfriend, so you hoped that whatever you made would impress him. You unlocked the front door and flicked the switch, but the lights didn’t come on. Rather than flipping the switch a couple more times, you growled then rubbed your temples in annoyance. 

“Damn it, not again.”

“What’s wrong?” Trunks asked, now standing behind you.

You turned towards him. “Power outage,” you grumbled. “They’ve been happening quite a bit out here lately, though it’s usually during the day… I guess it can’t be helped.” 

With that said, you held your dominant hand out flat and narrowed your eyes slightly in concentration. In no time, a warm glow followed by a ki sphere materialized and rested in said appendage. From afar it looked like a mass of fireflies flickering brightly.

“That’s incredible,” Trunks complimented. 

“Thank you,” you said, smiling. All of a sudden, you realized the energy ball in your palm illuminated Trunks’ face. You took a moment to gaze transfixed at the demi-Saiyan, the flickering energy lighting up the icy azure of his eyes. “Would eating outside be okay with you?”

Trunks smiled and nodded. 

“That’s fine,” he replied. “Join me?”

You noticed the hopefulness in his voice and found it impossible to turn his offer down. 

“I’d love to,” you replied, smiling. “Just give me a minute and I’ll be right back with some food and pans.”

= = = = = = =

You poked your head out and saw Trunks starting the fire from the wood he had gathered. You started to walk over, but after a few steps, a multitude of sparks from the flickering ember. You saw Trunks look up from the fire, alarmed. His lips moved, but your heart pounded loudly, clogging your ears so you couldn’t make out the words. The items slipped out from your fingers before you collapsed forward seconds before everything faded to black.

Trunks was by your side in a heartbeat, crouching down next to you as he prepared to lift you and move you inside the house but halted his actions immediately. His eyes widened more at what he saw was happening: your body was undergoing a seizure. There was nothing he could do now, except to remain by your side and wait for it to pass. 

Trunks clenched his fist tightly as he watched your entire body twitch and convulse against its will on the ground. He fought to keep his composure under control, for if he allowed it to slip, his ki wave could very likely injure you. His fingernails clenched so tightly into his palms, that they broke the skin. Warm, crimson life essence oozed between his fingers and droplets pelted the ground. 

Minutes seemed like an eternity until, finally, the seizure ended, leaving you lying on your side unconscious. Trunks quickly removed his jacket over his black wife beater and carefully wrapped you up in the denim article to prevent the blood from his palms getting on you, then carefully scooped you up, allowing your head to rest against his chest. Luckily, the front door was still open. 

Stepping inside, Trunks’ eyes adjusted to the darkness rather quickly and came across the nearest living room sofa where he gently set you down. Glancing down while breathing shakily, he could see the dark essence from the re-opened crescent-shaped scars across his palms. Trunks tore the ends from one of his pant legs with his somewhat still-shaking hands and began wrapping the pieces of fabric around his hands as best he could for temporary compression. 

Sighing shakily, Trunks quickly stepped outside and went over to the fire that grew weak from the lack of firewood, kicked dirt over the dimming sparks until they were completely snuffed out, and then re-entered the house before closing the door behind him. He turned towards your supine form and walked over and sat on the edge of the furniture. With a shaky hand, he brushed the strains of hair that mingled with your eyelashes to the side and removed any dried leaves and other foliage caught in your hair. He released a breath he’d been unaware of holding once, as far as he could tell, you appeared to be uninjured. 

With no electricity in the house meant there was no way to get in touch with Chichi, Bulma or a doctor. Flying you back to Capsule Corp. or a hospital seemed like a good idea, but there was a possibility that another seizure could occur and there’d be nowhere safe to set you down and wait it out. Trunks gently grasped one of your hands and began running his thumb across it. 

“I’m right here,” he whispered. 

It was impossible to know how much time had passed, but you eventually stirred and began drifting into alertness. The first thing you saw when your eyes fluttered open was the blurred outline of a figure sitting beside you. Your stomach lurched and you immediately sat up, prepared to fight. Due to the sudden and sharp movement, you felt light-headed and almost fell onto your side but felt two strong, yet gentle hands caught you. 

“It’s okay, it’s just me,” Trunks whispered reassuringly, then laid you back down on the sofa. 

“Trunks?” You blinked, holding your forehead in your palm warily until your vision slowly adjusted to the darkness, then shook your head and looked up at him. “Wh-what’s going on? Weren’t we just outside?” 

Trunks bit his lip and a few lavender strands fell softly over his eyes. He lowered his head then sunk back onto the edge of the sofa then looked at you. 

“We were,” he replied while slowly stroking your cheek, “but you suddenly collapsed...and had a seizure.” Your eyes widened and you attempted to sit up, but Trunks quickly reached for your shoulders and gently pushed you back down. “No, don’t try to get up right now; you might collapse again.”

You stared through the darkness of the room and into his eyes, right into his soul. His genuine concern for you was clearly evident, having to watch your body react to the seizure while being powerless to do anything to stop it must’ve been one of the hardest things he ever had to do. You slowly nodded and complied. 

“Will you bring me some Tylenol, please?” you asked, pointing upstairs towards the nearest bathroom down the hallway. “There should be a bottle of it in the medicine cabinet, third shelf.” 

Trunks seemed hesitant to leave your side at first, but then nodded and got to his feet. “Sure, I’ll be right back.” 

Trunks soon returned with the Tylenol and a glass of water. He helped you sit up so you could take the medicine and water in one gulp. Before Trunks was able to help you lay back down, you laid a hand over his arm. 

“Hey, Trunks?” you began hesitantly. “Does my mom…know about the seizure?” 

Trunks looked off to the side and set the now empty glass down on the nearby coffee table, then turned his attention back to you and shook his head. “No, she’s still back over at Capsule Crop. The power still hasn’t come back on, so I can’t use the phone to call my house.”

“Oh...” You nodded slightly as your eyes wandered over to his hands. A frantic gasp escaped your lips at the sight of the bandages, and you looked back up at Trunks worryingly. “What happened?!” 

Trunks smiled softly and cupped your cheek then leaned over you and pressed his soft lips against yours. “It’s not as bad as it may look; I’m alright.” 

“But that’s... Why didn’t you tend to your own injury instead?” you asked, feeling resentful of yourself that he got hurt because of you.

Trunks was taken aback by such a question; he would have none of that. He then wrapped his arms around you, holding you tightly as if it were the only way to keep you from vanishing into thin air. “None of this is your fault; never think for a second that it is. Besides, if I had tended to them first that would’ve meant breaking my promise to you and I’m not about to do that,” he pulled back slightly, looking at you as he tucked a strain of hair behind your ear and smiled. “I’ll treat them in the morning, so you’ll have nothing to worry about. Okay?”

You nodded tiredly, but fought the spreading fatigue back when you felt the sofa shift a bit as an indication Trunks was getting to his feet. 

“What’re you doing?” you inquired, watching him lightly toss his boots to the other end of the sofa. 

“I, um…” he replied, then paused for a moment, as if struggling for the best way to word something. “Since I don’t think it would be wise to leave you all alone after having a seizure, and with your mom not back yet…I think I should stay close by,” he explained while trying in vain to hide the blush due to the moonlight pouring in to the room and illuminating this feature. “I’ll stay in the next room, though.” 

Though you acknowledged the fact that he was being a gentleman, and didn’t want either of your moms jumping to any conclusions, you were still shaken up by the whole seizure and felt safer if you knew Trunks was in the same room. You hadn’t wanted him to get the wrong impression, but you had to tell him before he was out of the room. So you called his name, causing him to stop and turn his attention to you.

“I… Can you…” you gulped then lowered your head, staring at his Capsule Corp. jacket still draped over your lap. You gulped and decided to ask anyway, since you already began to. “I’m still scared from having the seizure, so I’d feel much safer if I knew you were in the same room.”

After a few moments of hesitation, Trunks closed the distance by moving towards the sofa and sat down beside you. You looked up, surprised, yet relieved and wrapped your arms around his neck. You scooted over a bit then lied down and felt your muscles relax as his warm, strong hand stroked your arm as you felt the sofa shift slightly once more when Trunks laid down beside you. Trunks sat back up slightly and pulled the folded quilt off the headrest and unfolded it, periodically glancing at you and smiling shyly. He pulled it up to your shoulder then lay over instead of under the quilt. 

You glanced at the space between the two of you, knowing Trunks had intentionally put it there, respecting your feelings instead of closing the gap without your permission. You smiled in appreciation then slowly closed the distance between the two of you and smiled tiredly when Trunks wrapped his arms around you and pulled you closer. You turned your head and yawned into the cushion before resting your head against Trunks’ chest, listening to his heart beating against your ear, secretly naming its soothing rhythm your lullaby. You glanced up to meet Trunks’ gaze; shy blue eyes stared back at you before their owner smiled. 

“Thank you,” you whispered before slowly drifting off to sleep.

\- - - - - - - - - -  
**_End of Ch. 4_**  



	5. Limits of Strength

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♥Thank you to my lovely and awesome reviewers♥  
>  **Cass  
>  yanelli   
> Tanisha **
> 
> I'll reply to your reviews momentarily. In the meantime, enjoy your update. :)

_Ages_

You: 17

Trunks: 18

  
_**Chapter 5  
Limits of Strength  
**_ \- - - - - - - - - -

After completing your morning training, you returned to your house, descending from the air and touching down before the front door, and turned the knob before entering.

“I’m back…” you called out in a discouraged manner, closing the door behind you.

Chichi poked her head out from the hallway and made her way over to you as she continued to stir the batter in the bowl she was holding. “How was training?”

“Not so good,” you admitted as you sauntered into the kitchen, opening the fridge door. “I just can’t seem to transform, no matter what I’ve done.”

Chichi pursed her lips and set the batter she was stirring off to the side. “___… I know you’ve been training very hard, it’s just that…” she paused before taking a deep breath. You closed the fridge door after retrieving an orange and a water bottle, then stood straight and turned to face your mom. Chichi sighed and shook her head. “Perhaps it’s just not meant to be.”

You widened your eyes then glanced over your shoulder and grabbed your refreshments. “I see… I think I’ll go flying around for awhile to clear my mind.” 

Chichi blinked. “What? Don’t you want something to eat first? You just barely got home.”

You felt bad for turning down your mom’s cooking, but you never had much of an appetite when in a sullen mood. “No thanks; I’m not all that hungry.” 

A year had gone by since your trip to the past, and you still hadn’t become a Super Saiyan. Even though you still had time, it felt like you were running out. The casualty ratio caused by the androids continued to rise, and you couldn’t bear the thought of Trunks or your mom as being one of them. You never doubted the demi-Saiyan’s strength, he was capable of taking care of himself. It was just that during times in battle, he seemed to be too worried for your safety that 17 and 18 would use that to their advantage. 

You see, by now both 17 and 18 figured out that you still hadn’t become like Trunks **(1)** and would strategically split you and the demi-Saiyan up during battle and gang up on you to provoke Trunks’ rage. Sure, you did everything you could to hold your own when this happened, but Trunks was usually the one who’d have to rescue you and being the one to carry you to safety. Even if he sustained more injuries, Trunks always made sure that yours were treated first. 

You knew that your strength would never exceed Trunks’…but at least if you were a Super Saiyan, maybe you could help out more, both in saving more lives and holding the androids off. More importantly, you becoming a Super Saiyan would be the only proof left that Goku and Gohan were ever alive and you did not want to let either of them down, just like Trunks being able to transform carried on a legacy left by Vegeta. 

Once you finished your orange and discarded the peel, you quietly began to hum quietly to yourself a song you heard on the radio the other day as you entered your room to retrieve some fresh clothes.

“ _…Is an angel watching closely over me? Can there be a guiding light I've yet to see?_ ” you sang softly, pausing to close your eyes while inhaling a deep breath of air shakily. “ _I know my heart should guide me, but… There’s a hole within my soul…_ ” 

You entered the bathroom, set a pair of clean clothes down on the toilet lid, and turned the knob of the tub. Strings of hot water pelted on the ceramic floor. You continued singing to yourself as you peeled off your dirty clothing before stepping into the shower. 

“ _What will fill this emptiness inside of me? Am I to be satisfied without knowing? I wish then for a chance to see now all I need. Is my star to come..._ ” **(2)**

= = = = = = = =

Once dried off and changed, you stepped out of the house then closed the door behind you. Despite your mother’s words still raw in your memory, you decided you were okay enough to travel to West City. You’d take your time getting there, though, enjoying the feeling of the wind blowing through your hair. Not to mention you wanted the time you spent with Trunks to be peaceful. You knew your mom wouldn’t be able to understand what you were going through…she wasn’t like you after all.

Once you arrived in West City, your feet touched down outside of the city—couldn’t let civilians mistake you for one of the androids now. Looking around and seeing the entire city in pieces, or close to that state, caused your stomach to churn. You felt yourself shake from the inside due to the range of emotions, both of anger and sadness, and frowned in determination. 

_‘All the more reason I have to become a Super Saiyan, and fast.’_

You shoved your hands inside your pockets and walked down the eerie streets. Buildings missing chunks of walls became more common. You offered a nod and small smile to those timidly peeking over the wall. You knew trying to talk to them often didn’t do much good, as many had grown untrustworthy and reclusive; some even closed themselves off completely and forgot how to speak, due to the shock of the androids destroying everything including their entire families. It had become a common, tragic story.

Upon reaching your destination, you brought your hand up and knocked on the door.

Trunks was the one who answered the door. He started to smile, but became perplexed upon seeing your troubled expression. “___? What’s wrong?”

You gave him a wan smile before averting your gaze and tucking your hair behind your ear. You had really hoped that he wouldn’t have seen you in the state you were in, but apparently he did. “Would it be alright if I hung out here for awhile?”

This only made him more concern for you, as Trunks opened the door wider and gently wrapped his arms around your upper back. “What happened?” When you didn’t answer, he rephrased his question. “Want to come inside and talk about it?”

You rested your forehead against his chest and nodded.

= = = = = = = =

Sitting on the sofa, you stared at the wooden coffee table as you felt the seat beside you dip as Trunks sat down.

“So,” he began, “tell me what happened.”

You took a deep breath and looked up at him.

“I still haven’t become a Super Saiyan…and I’m getting worried,” as you admitted this, your head bowed, your hair hiding your eyes and your hands fisting in your lap. “I’ve trained so hard, but nothing has worked. I don’t know if I just haven’t become angry enough, or have been exposed to the right…‘shock treatment’, or if that form is simply inaccessible to female Saiyans.”

You swallowed a lump in your throat and faced away from Trunks as you felt tears threatening to fall from your eyes. All of the frustration and anxiety of unsuccessful attempts to transform over the years had finally caught up with you and after hearing doubt in your mother’s words, you couldn’t keep these emotions festered inside any longer. 

“Even this morning, my mom basically implied that I should give up. We may not always get along, but she’s still my mother. My own mother doesn’t think I can do it, Trunks…” 

Trunks reached out with one arm and gently pulled you into a hug and ran his hand up and down your back in a soothing manner. You didn’t resist.

“My own mother,” you repeated, gripping one of the long blue sleeves of his jacket while choking back a sob. 

“Shh… It’s okay,” Trunks whispered in your ear, continuing to hold you and rub your back. 

You kept your face buried in Trunks’ chest, his arms remaining protectively around you. Gradually your cries quieted and your salty tears dried on his skin. Trunks gently tilted your chin up with one hand and wiped the tears away with his thumb with the other. “You know that I’m always here for you, right?” You bit your lip and sniffled while looking at him with wet cheeks and misted eyes. “Just remember everyone and everything you’re fighting for, and then move forward. Whether you become a Super Saiyan or not, that won’t change who you are.” 

Your heart swelled from those words; so simple, yet meaningful. 

“Trunks… I…” you paused, in a loss for words and cracked a smile. “Thanks.” 

Smiling, Trunks cupped your face with his palms and lowered his head, pressing his soft lips to yours. You slowly closed your eyes, surrendering all coherent thoughts, and unconsciously wrapped your arms around his neck. Your lips brushed against one another until Trunks’ teeth nibbled on your lower lip. You opened your mouth and felt his tongue slip in between your lips and began to massage your tongue. You sighed blissfully, enjoying the treatment. 

Trunks angled his head and slowly moved his hands from your cheeks, in favor of running his fingers through your hair with one hand and loosely wrap the other one around your mid back. You moved one hand down the planes of his chest and began stroking his smooth muscles. You felt a low thrumming noise emanate from Trunks as he quietly began to purr. The demi-Saiyan’s tongue pushed further into your mouth. 

Your hand slowly moved from his chest down to his stomach, lightly dragging your nails across his waist. The purring became louder and Trunks moved his hand from your back up behind your left shoulder blade. He seemed hesitant at first, but then slid his fingers under the collar of your shirt, causing you to shiver, but gradually relaxed. Goosebumps spread across your skin as Trunks’ soft, warm fingers traced over your skin from the junction between your neck and shoulder to your shoulder blades, but no lower; he’d become bolder, but never in an inappropriate manner.

You slid your tongue against Trunks’, massaging it as he’d done with yours. Time seemed undefined and the sound of the demi-Saiyan’s purring drowned out all other sounds. It felt as if the both of you had found refuge within each other, where not even the shadows and burdens of your pasts could reach you. 

A familiar burning, constricting ache filled your lungs, causing both you and Trunks slowly part and stared into each other’s eyes. Trunks continued to purr as his hand moved from your hair and cupped your cheek. You brought a hand up and rested it on the outside of his hand then leaned into his touch and kissed the heel of his palm. 

“Thanks, Trunks,” you told him, smiling while ghosting your fingers over his chest. 

“For what?” 

“For reminding me what’s important and to hold onto it.” As you admitted this, a blush dusted your cheeks. “So thank you, and don’t ever change.”

Still purring, Trunks smiled and leaned closer, pressing his lips to yours. “Deal.”

= = = = = = = =

_‘Focus; I must focus.’_

You inhaled a deep breath of air and closed your eyes, clearing your mind. You tuned out all sounds around you and began to concentrate on expanding your ki. The dust on the ground began to blow away. Soon a visible white, flame-like aura surrounded your form whilst you manually fisted your hands. The harder you focused on the things that angered you, the more ki surged through your body. Thoughts of families being torn apart from surprise attacks, children screaming from finding their murdered parents lying in a puddle of blood, survivors becoming catatonic after witnessing the androids eradicate a loved one. 

Your hair began to sway over your head as if under water, save for a few strands sweeping across your brow. The morbid visuals increased, along with your hatred for the twins. You gritted your teeth and began yelling, your ki flaring as you remembered the pain of loss from Gohan’s murder, the sight of a motionless and battered Trunks, and the possibility of your mother’s lifeless form lying on the floor with the twins standing over her and smirking sinisterly. 

Both your hair and clothes billowed fiercely from the energy you were exerting. The ground under your feet began to give way, creating a crater. You subconsciously pushed a sufficient amount of ki to your feet, hovering over the small gaping hole you created. 

Your head tilted skyward, your arms and legs tensed. As your yelling continued, more ki flowed around you. The wind around you steadily picked up, and you could feel the strain starting to catch up. Eyes still closed, you furrowed your brows and continued to focus on your motivation instead. You felt that stubborn mental block of your limitation quickly approaching, but you were determined to do whatever it took to bring—or better yet, knock it down. 

However, the flaring white ki suddenly dissipated, and your hair fell around your face. You started to fall forward, but a pair of strong arms wrapped around your waist. You allowed your head to rest against the demi-Saiyan’s chest as you tried to catch your breath and waited for the unpleasant lightheaded sensation to subside. 

When you finally filled your lungs with enough oxygen, you opened your eyes partway then tiredly glanced up at Trunks. “Thanks.”

Trunks smiled and floated away from the crater and gently set you down on the ground. You gripped onto his sleeves in case you stumbled, then shifted your attention to the recent-created crater, your head still rested against his chest. 

“Are you alright?”

You nodded. “Yeah; guess I didn’t make the cut, huh?”

“Afraid not, but I can tell you’ve gotten stronger.”

You glanced back over to the crater in the earth, then back at Trunks. “Thanks, but I need to keep pushing myself until I’m there; so I was wondering…if you wanted to spar?”

This may be the extra push needed to unlocking your full Saiyan potentials! In the past, Trunks had been hesitant to spar with you, for he said was afraid of hurting you. This dented your pride, knowing he wouldn’t be using his full strength; not to mention the androids didn’t believe in chivalry—17 would never hold back just because of your gender. 

You read the reluctance on Trunks’ features and smiled reassuringly. While it was really sweet of him to be concern for your safety, this world was still a very unforgiving place and unless you wanted to end up buried in an unmarked grave like many before you, survival was the number one priority. “I’ll be fine, really; besides I don’t think any more independent training will be beneficial at this point,” you angled your head and batted your eyelashes. “Pleeease?”

Sure enough, that did the trick, leaving Trunks with no choice but to give in. 

“Okay.”

You grinned then shifted your weight to your feet as Trunks released you and hovered a few feet back. The two of you crouched into fighter stances and stared at the other in a competitive, yet friendly manner and you smirked. “Ding.” **(3)**

On cue the both of you rushed forward, meeting each other halfway. Trunks drew his right fist back before sending it forward; you barely had enough time to block the attack by crossing your arms in front of your face. The impact from his punch caused you to wince; even though Trunks wasn’t using the full extent of his strength, the force was still enough to send you skidding back. Eyes narrowing in concentration, you channeled your ki to slow the impact enough to grab onto the rubble on the ground, creating a trail of dust.

Once you managed to stop, you got into a crouched position and curled one hand as you formed a ki ball. Trunks came rushing forward, barely leaving you just enough time to back flip with one hand while your other cradled the ki ball to your chest, hoping he wouldn’t see what you were planning. Now hovering in the air upside down, you raised both palms to your forehead with a newly created ki orb. 

“Masenko-HA!!!” 

You threw both arms forward, aiming the energy at the ground down near his feet. Trunks only had enough time to step back and shield his eyes from the rapidly rising dust, just like you’d planned. A quick smirk donned your features as you turned yourself right side up and touched down near his right. Trunks must’ve sensed you since he lowered his arms and turned toward you then blinked and smirked. 

Both your and his fist collided against one another, and held for a few seconds before the both of you locked into a fierce volley of punches and kicks. The moment you saw an opening, you bent your leg and swung your knee forward, but Trunks mirrored your actions, causing both your and his knee to collide. A sonic boom was heard, creating a ripple of energy waves. 

The two of you tried to push the other back, the demi-Saiyan having less difficulty in comparison. Your strength may not have exceeded his, but there was no way you were out of this just yet! Brows furrowing and teeth gritting, the both of you withdrew, fisting your hands as you both charged at each other yet again. Trunks began a spin kick, but you blocked it halfway with the side of your arm then extended your palm out flat as you crouched to the ground. Hand pressed flat to the ground, you released a ki blast at the ground before springing into the air. 

Trunks swiftly followed and you glanced over your shoulder before moving fast enough to reappear behind him then quickly cupped both hands into a double fist. You slammed them down onto his head. Trunks winced as he started falling forward. You reappeared beneath him and swung your knee up right into his abdomen. 

Trunks yelped and clutched one hand to his abdomen then cracked one eye open, his iris flashed teal green seconds before a golden aura flared around him. Without further warning, you felt a fist swiftly connect to your jaw, causing your head to jerk upward and your body flung upward before you began to fall head-first towards the ground. Trunks’ golden aura dissipated and his eyes widened and mouth gaped open when realizing what he had done. 

Quickly powering back to his Super Saiyan form, he dove after your rapidly descending body. After a burst of ki, he sped up and managed to reach you. Wrapping his arms around you, Trunks gradually slowed his descend, stopping within inches from the ground, which caused the dirt to blow away in a ripple pattern. Trunks returned to his base form and cupped the back of your head then carefully tilted it back to inspect your injury while he landed and sat you down. His other hand swept through your hair soothingly and called your name softly; worry marred his features when he noticed a bruise forming under your chin. 

He knew that he was supposed to be careful, but the Saiyan half of him just took over during the spar—it was purely instinct. No…he wasn’t going to make excuses for himself, he lost control and it resulted in the possibility of breaking your jaw. 

Your closed eyes stirred before you contorted in pain. As you opened your eyes, you brought one hand up to your jaw and experimentally touched it, only to hiss in pain. 

“___? Are you alright?!” Trunks asked worryingly. “I’m really sorry… Is your jaw broken?”

Carefully feeling your jaw again, you sighed in relief to find everything miraculously still intact. Talk about your lucky break. 

Not wanting to take any chances by moving your jaw so much, you shifted yourself while still in his arms and extended your finger to write your response in the dirt: **Need an ice pack.**

= = = = = = = =

You stared up at the ceiling, trying to pass the time by connecting the different shaped dots and cracks in your mind. With the ice pack pressed to your face, you tried to focus on other things to get your mind off the throbbing pain. Even if there were any Senzu beans left the only way to use it would be by chewing it, and let’s just say that wasn’t ideal at this particular moment.

 _‘Wonder if the Senzu’s could still function the same way if grounded up into powder to take with water…’_ You lifted the pack as the coldness became biting on your skin. _‘I was very lucky this time, but need to be more careful from now on. Trunks is much stronger than me, and a Super Saiyan to boot. I know he’d never do something like this on purpose, but I have to know where the limits of my abilities lie.’_

As soon as the sound of footsteps reached your ears, you shifted your attention over toward Trunks entering the room with a bowl of more ice cubes in it. He smiled guiltily as he saw you still lying on the couch with the ice pack, knowing you were still in pain. 

“Sorry, these took a bit longer to freeze than I had expected,” he told you, setting the bowl down on the table before reaching for the ice pack you handed him. He held it over the bowl and poured the water from the melted ice into the bowl before refilling the pack with the fresh ice cubes and handing it back to you. As you placed the pack to the side of your face, Trunks smiled apologetically. “Better?”

Keeping the ice pack pressed to your face with one hand, you lifted your other hand and made a knocking motion with your fist. **(4)**

Using your elbows, you pushed yourself up from your laying position and scooted to the side before patting the spot next to you. Trunks glanced at your hand before looking up at you. You nodded, encouraging him to sit down. As Trunks did, you tucked your legs under you, scooted closer to him and rested your head against his shoulder. Trunks loosely wrapped his arm around your waist before you heard him hiss from this action.

You lifted your head up in alertness and looked up at him, concerned. Trunks winced and he looked up at you then managed a wan smile. “I’m alright, ___.” His hand reached up and tucked your hair behind your ear. Your eyes widened as you recalled knee-bashing his abdomen. Without realizing what you were doing, you reached your hand forward and ghosted your finger tips over his abdomen. 

“You’ve gotten pretty strong,” he said, smiling. “You’re definitely Goku’s daughter.” He then lightly grabbed your wrist and before he could say something else, the front door opened. Both of you turned your heads to the source of the sound.

_‘I sense it’s Bulma; oh man… How am I going to explain about my jaw?’_

Looking back at Trunks, the demi-Saiyan soon looked back at you then released your wrist before whispering, “Wait here,” before getting to his feet and walking out to the hallway to meet his mom. 

Just when you thought you knew better than to eavesdrop, the muffled sound of dialog occurring from outside the room made curiosity get the best of you. After slowly scooting off the furniture, you crept towards the wall leading out of the room. You pressed your ear against the cool wall to try to listen in, but your eyes soon widened when hearing two sets of footsteps heading your way. 

Quickly, you darted back to the couch and resumed your previous sitting position in the nick of time. Both Bulma and Trunks entered the living room, the former gasped, eyes widening in surprise. “Oh my gosh—what happened?!” Hurrying over to you, she began to reach for the icepack only to stop halfway. “Is it alright if I look?”

Nodding hesitantly, you moved the ice pack out of the way and tilted your head back. After looking the bruise over and seeing it wasn’t as serious as it could have been, Bulma sighed in relief then turned to Trunks. “I’m glad that you gave her an icepack, but this better not happen again. I raised you better than that.” 

Trunks winced and lowered his head. “I know; I’m really sorry.”

Bulma looked back at you. “Well, since you’re here, would you like to see the progress on the time machine?”

You nodded and got to your feet.

= = = = = = = =

With a flick of the switch, the light in the room came on and Bulma led you and Trunks over to the center of the room. Pulling a case out from her shirt pocket, Bulma lifted the lid and picked up a capsule before pressing the button then tossed it to the ground. You squinted as you waited for the puff of smoke to clear, then widened your eyes as you saw the time machine in place. Having not seen the transportation for an entire year, you’d forgotten how tall it was. Angling your head in curiosity, you walked up to it.

“It ought to be fully charged by the end of this year, if all goes well,” Bulma commented. Both you and Trunks turned to face her. “Let’s not let Gero get away with activating the androids of another time.” You and Trunks nodded in agreement.

Suddenly there came a scraping sound at the door. Almost like an animal rapping its paw at the door when wanting to be let in, but not quite. 

Your brows furrowed. _‘What could that be?’_

As you started to take a step forward, Trunks placed his hand on your shoulder, stopping you. “You and Mom better stay here; I’ll go check it out.”

You wanted to insist to go with him but given the current condition of your jaw, you acquiesced to Trunks’ request instead. You grabbed one of his hands and gently squeezed it.

Trunks quickly glanced passed you to see Bulma stepping out to answer her cell phone. Using this time while his mom wasn’t looking, Trunks looked back at you and squeezed your hand back then raised it up to his lips and kissed the back of your knuckles then whispered, “I’ll be careful, I promise.”

You watched as he exited the room, finding a sudden uneasy feeling that was impossible to shake off. Something strongly stirred within you to go after him, but knew he would only make you return to this room. Setting the icepack down on the box by your feet, you turned towards the time machine and encapsulated it then picked it up and put it back in its case.

“Oh, thanks for putting that away for me, ___,” Bulma said, returning to the room. “I just had to step out to take an important phone call.”

You nodded and handed the case to her. The feeling something bad was going to happen didn’t go away. With a sigh, you sat on one of the over-sized carts and began to swing your feet until you felt the ground rattle before you heard an explosion, along with Trunks yelling and glass shattering. No doubt it was the androids’ doing. 

Adrenaline kicking in, you immediately jumped to your feet, heart pounding and eyes widening, you darted passed a frantic Bulma out of the room to look for Trunks, whether he wanted you to or not. 

_‘Please be alright, Trunks!’_

\- - - - - - - - - -  
**_End of Ch. 5_**  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **(1)** I was rewatching the Android saga, and realized that 17 and 18 never used the term ‘Super Saiyan’. Since Gero didn’t know about this form’s existence, it’s safe to assume his creations (save for Cell) didn’t either. 
> 
> **(2)** My favorite song Atm, called Wind's Nocturne: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uPobOuLAMs. 
> 
> **(3)** Same starting line from Cell during the Cell games.
> 
> **(4)** The ‘knocking motion’ was the reader responding ‘Yes’, which is also means the same thing in Sign Language.


	6. Close to Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♥Thank you to my lovely and awesome reviewers♥  
>  **Yanelli  
> **  
>  Your Dedicated Reader  
> dreamflyer1100 
> 
> Also, thank you for that generous fanart you did for me, dreamflyer1100! I'm still shocked (in a good way) that someone would take the time to make something like that for me. :')

_**Chapter 6  
Close to Home  
**_ \- - - - - - - - - -

Your surroundings appeared blurred as you rushed passed them, thicker dust clouds lingered in the air the further you went. Increased fear gripped your heart as your eyes widened at the scene. With a burst of ki, your feet left the floor while picking up the pace. _‘Don’t you die on me, Trunks!’_

Entering the living room, you halted abruptly. Your eyes scanned the area intently for any signs of Trunks or the twins. Squinting, you turned your head and coughed from the dust while desperately trying to sense your boyfriend’s energy. 

Hand covering your mouth and nose with one hand while forming a ki ball in the other, you cautiously entered the room. Pieces of the ceiling were strewn about and you even jumped back to avoid being hit by another falling chunk. You continued your search, becoming more worried with each passing second Trunks’ whereabouts remained unknown. The flickering lights from the ceiling didn’t help either.

Suddenly, a loose piece of split wood fell off from the recently created hole in the wall behind you, causing you to whirl sharply towards it and reflexively extend your hand out flat, holding a forming ki ball as you willed more energy in case the androids were to attack you. 

A hand groped the edge from the split wood before a figure limped out shortly thereafter; they collapsed to their knees then let out a pained grunt. Your eyes widened when you recognized their voice: it was Trunks. The ki globe in your hand immediately dissipated before you rushed over towards him. Upon closer inspection, both his face and upper chest had cuts and scrapes from the wood; his shirt also had numerous tears.

Crouching beside him, you reached a hand forward and gently brushed some of his lavender hair out of way. Trunks grunted again in pain and cracked his eyes open. 

“___...” His voice was hoarse and weak before he coughed from all the dust. Suddenly he tensed, his eyes widened and he quickly pulled you against him in a protective manner then hurriedly got to his feet, wincing from this exertion, and darted behind the wall across from him. Trunks looked around the room intently; the entire room was quiet, save for the sound of his heart pounding against your ear. 

17 and 18 were still out there, somewhere. You had no doubt in your mind this was some new sick, twisted game the two concocted. 

It wasn’t long before you felt Trunks’ eyes shift to you. You gulped inwardly then hesitantly looked up, like a child about to receive an inevitable scolding from a parent. 

“Why didn’t you listen to me?” he whispered. “I told you to stay put!”

You understood perfectly why he was upset, but what were you supposed to do—just sit idly by while the robotic pair continued to use him as their personal punching bag? Not happening! 

A creaking sound brought you out of your thoughts, causing you to clutch onto Trunks’ sleeve. He tightened his hold around you while continuing to look over his shoulder for the source of sound. The androids could be anywhere, watching and waiting for the moment to strike next. 

“Don’t you know _anything_ about hiding?” 

You quietly gasped while Trunks let out a low, animalistic snarl before two silhouettes began to emerge from the billowing smoke across the hallway. 

“You’re supposed to try to _not_ be spotted. Surely, not even lesser-beings could’ve forgotten something elementary.” 

Within the last few seconds before the dust settled, Trunks quickly moved you to stand behind him and out of view. 

The twins stepped into the clearing, wearing their signature smirk. “What, you didn’t think we’d ever attack this place? You occupy a tall building that’s located in the center of this city—what were you expecting to have happened? Oh, and don’t think your attempt to hide the girl went unnoticed; her death by our hands is inevitable, just like yours. Don’t worry, though: we’ll be generous and let you live long enough to watch us slowly crush her pretty little head before we finish you off.” 

Trunks let out another growl and his shoulders tensed, his hands clenched into tight fists. Even with his back facing you, you knew he was glaring with hatred for the two beings in front of him. You sensed his ki rise, while his hair swayed upward before it turned golden yellow as a flame-like aura flared strongly around him. “I will _not_ let either of you lay a hand on her!!!”

Hearing this, you tightly gripped onto Trunks’ jacket, praying that he wouldn’t do anything reckless on your behalf. _‘Don’t give in to them provoking you, Trunks!’_

17, the one who made the threat, beckoned the angry demi-Saiyan to come at him. Unwilling to leave his spot, Trunks quickly glanced around the room before redirecting his sight as he heard the androids advance another step forward. 

“Well, if you’re not going to attack, then I will,” 18 declared, extending her right hand with a blue sphere the size of a basketball. You tensed and prepared to step out of hiding and fight. Despite Trunks’ injuries weren’t as severe as they could have been, he was still hurt. 

“Guess that saying about killing two birds with one stone fits this scenario quite nicely,” 18 remarked. “Say ‘hello’ to Gohan for us.”

The blast was released immediately after. Your eyes widened as it came towards the two of you at a rapid rate. Trunks immediately held out both of his hands and released his own blast to counter 18’s. Seconds ticked by before the blasts exploded upon contact, creating heavy smoke clouds. You barely had enough time to shield your eyes from the smoke before a pair of strong hands grabbed you and took off. 

You felt your heart racing as you kept your eyes shut. You’d been exposed to danger numerous times, but each time felt no different than the first, knowing that one wrong move could send you to your grave. Like many people, you were afraid of death or, more specifically, getting killed. The more the twins attacked, the fewer possible safe places there were. Now that one of the few places where you felt safe was under attack, what was stopping 17 and 18 from attacking _your_ home next? What if they already had while you were out? What about your mom? Was she alright, or even aware that her only surviving child was currently fighting for her very life? 

The sound of the door slamming jarred you from your thoughts. This new room was pitched black and silent. You lifted your hand and began to concentrate on forming a tiny ki ball to help you see, but another hand quickly, yet gently, gripped your wrist, stopping you. 

“Don’t, I don’t want them to find us,” Trunks whispered. His back was pressed against the wall and he slowly crouched down to the floor, still holding onto you and pulling you down with him. “I hope Mom’s okay,” he murmured before looking back towards you. “We’re going to be okay, ___. I won’t let them hurt you, no matter what.” Just then, he winced and released his hold on you. 

You remembered hearing a door slam shut and figured that your current location was the basement, which meant in order for the androids to access this room they’d either have to blast a hole through the wall, or knock the door down. Either one of those commotions would create noise, thus giving you the advantage by knowing that they were in the room. Neither had happened, so it would be okay to release a little bit of your ki; not a lot to light up the room, but just enough to still see. 

Resuming to your original plan before Trunks stopped you, you shed some light in his direction to discover a large splinter embedded over his right brow. Blood trickled down the side of his face, some over his hand as he pressed his fingers over the open wound. Keeping the ki orb in your dominant hand, you gently moved his hand out of the way with your other hand before pressing it against the floor to give you support. You leaned in and pressed your lips to the wound before you managed to grab onto the splinter with your teeth and gingerly pulled it out. You heard Trunks hiss as you pulled back, then brought a nearby cloth to your lips and spit the piece of wood into it and wiped the blood off with it. 

_‘I can’t believe I just did that,’_ you thought, suppressing a blush while purposefully avoiding eye-contact with Trunks. Next you folded the cloth and began to wipe the blood off of his forehead. When you managed to reduce the bleeding to a minimum, you lifted the cloth away from Trunks’ forehead, but continued to avoid looking him in the eye. 

Suddenly, the door knob jiggled, causing the both of you to duck. You held your breath and braced yourself for the worst. With a click and creaking noise a few seconds later, the door cautiously opened before closing and locking once again.

“Trunks? __?” whispered a voice you immediately were able to identify as Bulma’s.

Both you and Trunks emerged from hiding as you held up the ki ball still in hand to illuminate some light so that Bulma wouldn’t mistake you or Trunks for the androids. Relief in her features, Bulma rushed over to the both of you. “I’m so glad you both managed to find each other, I—Trunks you’re hurt!”

“I’m fine, Mom, really,” Trunks whispered, embarrassment coating his voice as her eyes began surveying him. “But how did you manage to find us without being spotted?” 

Judging by the tone of his voice, it was obvious he wanted to change the subject. Luckily, it worked. 

“We can discuss details later. Right now it’s important for the three of us to keep our cool and figure out how to escape.”

= = = = = = = =

_You slowly opened your door, peeking around cautiously to make sure there was no sense of danger. You held the stuffed animal up to your face and tightly shut your eyes as you opened the door wider, then took a deep breath of air before summoning up as much courage as any five-year-old could before you walked briskly down the hallway towards your destination without looking over your shoulder. Successfully, and not wanting to stay out in the eerie dark hallway for a second longer, you opened the door._

_He sat in his usual seat at his desk, light illuminating the room from the lamp as he continued his studies in silence. A frustrated sigh left his lips when coming across a problem that left him stumped; for it wasn’t just **any** type of problem you see, but a two-part which required an answer in order to move onto the next one. A fourteen-year-old Gohan held one palm to his head warily while the other held the pencil up to his lips as he gnawed on the eraser side of the writing utensil while struggling against fatigue to solve the evil bugger. _

_You made your way over to Gohan and tugged at his arm to get his attention. The adolescent male stopped what he was doing and looked down to see your tiny, trembling form. Your brother put his pencil down, pushed his chair out in order to lean forward, and scooped you up onto his lap._

_“___? What are you doing up so late?”_

_Your trembling arms wrapped themselves around his neck while still keeping a strong grip on your stuffed animal. “I had a bad dream… Some mean people were after me.”_

_A concern frown marred Gohan’s features as he began rubbing your back in attempt to calm you down. “What ‘mean people’?”_

_“I-I don’t know… They were really mean and had scary eyes and they killed you and Mommy. Then they came after me… ” You stopped and fiercely rubbed your eyes; even at five you hated crying in front of others. “Can I sleep in here tonight?”_

_Gohan brought one hand up to his eyes and rubbed them, trying to rid them of the drowsiness as he pondered on what to do._

_This had been something that both he and your mom, mostly the latter, discussed when you first started having nightmares and night tares. In the beginning, your mom had allowed you to sleep in her bed, but would place you back into your own bed before you awoke next. As a few years passed, she no longer allowed you to sleep with her. Instead she used a flashlight to point out the supposed monsters in your room or outside your window were merely psychological, hoping this would help you to distinguish what was real and what wasn’t and start sleeping in your own bed._

_The nightmares didn’t occur every night, but when they did they were vivid and very disturbing. Chichi’s flashlight technique wasn’t enough to rid you of your fears, so you no longer went to her but to Gohan. Even though your mom instructed Gohan to use the same method as her, it was just one of the few orders he couldn’t bring himself to do. Probably because he had more first-hand knowledge and experience in having to learn how to become self-reliant at such an early age, and knew the effects those could have on someone so young. Although he had matured from and overcame those fears, and understood why Piccolo’s training had to be intense as it was, the memories of having to survive out in the middle of nowhere where wild animals and other dangers lurked would remain with him the rest of his life._

_But no matter how many obligations, he was still a full-time brother._

_Gohan gently pulled you back, rested his hand on your head, and smiled. “Just make sure you’re in your own bed before Mom wakes up.”_

_You smiled in appreciation and relief, the lingering fear beginning to subside. “Thank you, Gohan!”_

__

= = = = = = = =

Sitting on the sleeping bag Gohan had rolled out for you, you waited until he reached a stopping point on his homework and decided to turn in for the night. After he got settled in, you crawled over onto his bed.

“Will you tell me a story?”

Gohan was now just barely coherent. His closed eyes stirred as he shifted onto his side. “Nnngh…. Not tonight, Squirt. I’m too tired…” 

“Noooo… It’s the only way I’ll be able to fall asleep,” you pleaded as you shook his arm so he wouldn’t doze off and leave you in the dark all alone. “Pleeease?”

Gohan rubbed his eyes with the heel of his palms then cracked one of his eyes open and yawned. “Oh, alright,” he consented. “But just one, okay?”

You grinned then pulled your legs to your chest, and hugging the stuffed animal. 

You loved hearing the stories regarding the adventures Gohan had as a kid; the battle on Namek in particular was a personal favorite of yours. At the time, Gohan would discreetly leave out anything on Super Saiyans, but informed you on other things such as the Dragonballs and the ordeal that he, Bulma and Krillin went through to obtain them; the Namekians; Vegeta and his lust for immortality, Freeza and the Ginyu Force, and Goku courageously stepping in to save everyone.

“Gohan, do you think I’ll ever be as brave as you and Daddy?” you asked through a yawn, fatigue starting to take over. 

Gohan ruffled your hair, to which you replied by swatting his hand away; that teasing action always annoyed you. 

“Anybody can be brave, ___. Just from admitting that you want to overcome your fears, you’ve already taken the first step. Something that Piccolo had told me when I was about your age is facing your fears is less painful.” His eyes became forlorn and distant when bringing up his former mentor’s name, but soon blinked out of it. “Alright, the deal was if I told you a story you’d go to sleep.” 

You nodded and crawled over to your sleeping bag parallel to Gohan’s. You pulled up the covers to your neck and looked over to your brother. “Hey, Gohan?”

“Hmm?”

“Could we hold hands?” **(1)**

“Um, sure.”

Your small hand reached from out the covers onto the cold floor for the hand on the other side. This was something that made you feel safe, so if you awoke from a nightmare you’d feel your brother’s strong hand still holding yours, and things suddenly felt less frightening.

“Goodnight, Big Brother.”

“Goodnight, ___.”

= = = = = = = =

It was unknown how long you were out, but the remnants of sleep slowly wore off. You stared up at the ceiling as your brother’s words mulled over in your mind.

‘Facing my fears is less painful…’ 

You glanced over to the other bed where your brother still snoozed. You slowly pulled your hand out of Gohan’s, then lifted the quilt you were using off of your body. You picked up the stuffed animal you brought with you, quietly got up, and tip-toed to the door. After an inward gulp, you slowly reached for the knob and turned it, opening the door. Peeking outside, it was still dark in the hallway. You gulped, but you knew what you had to do, if you wanted to overcome your fear. Besides, you didn't want to have achluophobia for the rest of your life.

The hallways seemed suddenly longer than you recalled, causing your body to tremble. You took a deep breath and stepped out of your brother’s room, closing the door behind you. You placed one foot in front the other, then took another step, then a third step. Pretty soon, you reached the closed door to your own room. Just as you were about to open your door, you looked back towards the door to Gohan’s room and it suddenly didn’t seem so far as before. 

Smiling at what you’d accomplished, you entered your room and retired to your own bed, having gained more bravery than before and one-less thing to fear.

= = = = = = = =

Your eyelids slowly lifted as you were ebbed from your sleep. _‘Strange… I don’t remember falling asleep.’_

Rubbing your eyes, you glanced around your dimly-lit surroundings, remembering the current circumstances. As you lifted your head, Trunks shifted his attention to you and smiled softly. 

“You’re awake now?” he whispered, rubbing your arm.

You looked up at him then lay your head back against his warm and comfortable shoulder. That would explain how you were able to sleep, even while in hiding. You wanted to ask Trunks something, but after carefully moving your jaw it still felt sore. You had wanted to know just how long the three of you had been hiding, and if anything had changed. 

The humanoid pair still lingered within the building. You knew this due to the blasts and rattling from the ceiling, along with glass shattering occurring outside the room. It was no doubt their demented way of reminding you that they were still at large and wanting to make you feel trapped and helpless. 

“There’s just _got_ to be a way out of here,” Bulma sighed in frustration. “No… That won’t work either.” The pondering woman rubbed her temples, then subconsciously flinched as the androids had seemed to smash something heavy down on the floor upstairs, then laughed maniacally. “How could Dr. Gero even _think_ to create such abominations?” 

You clenched your hand into a fist, feeling bad that there was nothing Trunks’ mother could do to stop them, and worse that you weren’t a Super Saiyan yet. _‘What if there’s just something wrong with me?’_

Trunks felt you tense up, and looked down at you while he rubbed your arm to get your attention. “We’ll figure a way out of this, ___; I promise,” he assured you, misreading your frustration as worry. 

You managed a smile, despite your jaw still hurting, then leaned up and kissed Trunks on the cheek to assure him you weren’t mad at him or anything, then got up to stretch your arms, feeling them pop, before you walked over to Bulma, curious to see the paper she was studying under a flashlight just before the battery died. 

“No!” Bulma cried, shaking it while flicking the switch in hopes of reviving it. “Come on, you stupid thing!”

You crouched down in front of her and willed enough energy to your hand and held it over the piece of paper. Bulma paused and looked up to see your compassionate smile. 

“You’re a real life saver, ___!” Bulma exclaimed, relieved. “Would you mind keeping your hand like that for just a few minutes? I think I may have figured a way the three of us can escape without being spotted.”

You nodded then sat down Indian-style and did as requested. Trunks came over and sat down next to you, also looking at the sheet of paper from over your shoulder. “What’s this?” he inquired.

Bulma’s eyes never left the sheet as she answered her son’s question, “These are the blue prints your grandfather made when this place was still in the earlier process of being built. I’m trying to see if there’s any secret door, so to speak, that we may be able to use as an emergency exit.” 

“I thought Grandpa had—” 

**_Bam! Thump!_ **

The channeling of your ki stopped due to losing concentration from the destruction commencing outside. Sitting in possum-like stillness, your heart pounded; it sounded like they were closer than before. Could they be right outside the room this very moment? If you three were going to find an exit, it had to be soon; time was running out. It wasn’t that you were afraid at the thought of having to fight 17 and 18, rather you still had this unshakable feeling that something _really_ bad was about to happen. 

**_Wham! Whack!_ **

Dust and crumbs of debris fell from the ceiling, and it appeared as though the door had shook from that last hit. Bulma gasped, you gulped and reflexively latched onto Trunks’ sleeve, and the latter wrapped one protective arm around your waist and emanated a low growl. He pulled you up with him as he got to his feet and reached out to gently grab his mom by the arm and moved her behind him as the three of you continued to stare intently at the door as your only source of coverage was about to be torn down.

“___,” Trunks whispered, “as soon as I let you go, take Mom and take refuge further into the basement.”

Your eyes widened. What about him? 

**_C-creak… Crack!_ **

You gulped and gripped tighter onto his jacket, shaking your head while non-vocally pleading with him not to do what it sounded like he was planning.

Trunks held your hand firmly in his own then embraced and held you for a few moments before adding, “I need you need to listen and comply… Do this for me.” 

Head against his chest, you tightly shut your eyes and gulped, knowing you would regret doing this: you nodded.

**_Snap!_ **

Knowing the door would not be able to sustain itself for much longer, Trunks forced himself to pull you back and managed a confident smile as his eyes met yours, his hand cupping your cheek. “I’ll come find you once this is over, I promise… Now go.” 

Fighting against the plethora of emotions, you stood on your toes, gave him a quick kiss on the lips, then grabbed Bulma’s wrist as you led her to the back of the basement without looking back. After reaching the far end of the basement, you had sensed Trunks’ ki increase immensely; upgrading to Super Saiyan, no doubt. Bulma trembled, worried for her son’s safety. You inhaled your breath and held it in whilst your heart skipped a few beats. 

The horrible feeling nestled in the pit of your stomach until you couldn’t ignore it any longer. You stood abruptly, hands balled into tight fists. Bulma looked at you from her hiding place. 

“No, ___! Don’t do it!”

Too late! You had already took off, speeding towards the front of the basement. You knew what you had to do. Your brother’s words from your dream suddenly took on a deeper meaning: _‘”Facing your fears is less painful.’”_

You were through with hiding: Goku and Gohan would have been out there if they were still alive. You just hoped the person you deeply cared for had not been harmed.

From where Trunks was, the metal door, once it could no longer hold up, broke off from its hinges. It fell down the stairs and landed with a loud thud on the floor near his feet, causing Trunks to quickly step back, just before something swiftly connected to the side of his face, causing him to fall harshly onto the floor. Before able to get up, one of the androids’ feet stomped on his stomach, making the young warrior cough up blood without even enough time to defend himself.

“You thought you were _so_ clever, didn’t you?” 17 said with a sneer before delivering back-handed punch, sending Trunks sliding across the floor. Trunks grunted in pain as he fought against his aching muscles to stand.

“The others, where are they?” 17 demanded, approaching the demi-Saiyan. “I’ve wasted plenty of time searching the house for them and this is the only other room I haven’t checked yet. Now tell me, unless you prefer to make this harder for yourself.”

Trunks slowly resumed his stance, still fighting to ignore the pain inflicted on him by the same android. Trunks gritted his teeth and powered back up to his Super Saiyan form. “What makes you think I’d tell, even if I _did_ know?”

17 glared and clenched his fist, but then calmly placed his hands in his pockets and regained his collected composure. “Hmph. Fair enough, then I suppose you won’t mind if I search the room myself.” 

Trunks’ eyes widened. “No! I won’t let you!” he yelled right before he found himself in a headlock by 18, who snuck up on him. 

17 stopped in his tracks, turned his head in Trunks’ direction and calmly walked over to Trunks who struggled fruitlessly in 18’s grip. The male android spat in Trunks’ face. 

“ _You_? Stop _me_? You and what army?” 

18 tightened her grip around Trunks’ neck, causing the warrior to give a strangled cry. “He doesn’t know when to quit. It seems like he’s hit his head too many times, if you ask me.” 

17 smirked. “Well, _that_ would explain a lot.” 

Without warning, you rushed in and spun-kicked 18 off of Trunks, leaving you with barely enough time to shoulder-ram 17 back into the pile of cardboard boxes behind him. You stood protectively in front of Trunks who was now on the floor, coughing. 

The humanoid female caught herself mid-air then touched down, tucking her hair behind her ear. You stood in a fighter stance, glaring hard at the pair. 

“So you were in here after all,” 17 said. “Have you finally accepted your fate, or are you just a glutton for punishment like the boy over there?” 

You clenched your fists and gritted your teeth. Your ki flared strongly around you.

“What’s the matter, Princess, cat got your tongue?” 

You stood your ground and your eyes narrowed into slits.

“Hmm… Interesting.”

18 folded her arms over her chest and shot a glance towards her counterpart. “What now?” she asked annoyed. “Can we just destroy her already?”

“We will, but I just noticed something: take a closer look at her eyes and face.”

You kept your stance and sucked in a breath of air. What did your features have to do with this? 

17 appeared in front of you before you could blink and before you could regain yourself, he quickly grabbed one of your arms and slammed you down on the floor. Your flame-like ki dissipated. To prevent you from trying to throw him off, 17 used his knee to pin your back down while his other hand gripped onto your elbow still in his grasp so you couldn’t move. You struggled to free your other arm, but 18 stomped on it with her foot, earning a pained grunt and flinch from you before you could suppress it. 

_‘This is not good! I can’t move now!’_ You glanced over towards where Trunks lay, still stunned. _‘I need to lead these two away somehow, otherwise Trunks and Bulma may get hurt.’_

You attempted another struggle but 17’s grip around your arm tightened, thus causing you to flinch. You could already begin to feel the circulation being cut off.

“Don’t forget your bones are fragile, like the legs of an insect. I could easily snap you in half.”

You fought against a whimper as excruciating pain continued to course up your arm, you refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing you suffer like you would every time your life was held in their hands. 

With her foot still over your hand, 18 knelt down to look at you closely. “I don’t notice anything special about her. Your eyes must be malfunctioning or something, 17.” 

“My sight works just fine; if you look closely you’ll see a resemblance of _her_.”

You cracked an eye open and glanced around the room for something to use to throw 17 off, not paying attention to what he and 18 were talking about. Bad idea as the blonde one grabbed onto your chin. More pain coursed through you due to the pressure she applied on your bruised jaw. A smirk suddenly tilted her lips. 

“Hmm… I’ve never noticed before. She _does_ remind me of her.”

You swallowed; this was getting more bizarre by the moment, and being in their clutches didn’t make things better. Just what was it about you that made you suddenly stand out to them? Why you? 

“So you _finally_ noticed,” 17 commented to his counterpart. “It seems that would-be guinea pig was too busy to keep her word; looks like we’re just going to have to make an example out of this brat instead.” 

Suddenly, you felt your body being yanked off the ground and slammed against the nearest wall. 17 now held you up by the collar of your shirt with one hand effortlessly. You cracked an eye open and resumed glaring at the duo in front of you. You gripped one hand onto 17’s wrist and prepared your other hand to hit his forearm, hoping that would inflict enough pain on him to release you, but 18 grabbed said arm and pinned it against the wall. 

“We’re going to enjoy taking our time killing you,” 17 purred into your ear. 

You shuttered, using your hand still on his wrist to try to push him back. 17 smirked and willingly pulled away before he used his other hand to strike you across the face. A pained yelp left your lips and your head to flop motionlessly to the side, followed by a thin stream of blood trickling down from where he hit you and dripped to the floor. 

17 roughly shook you, causing your head to jerk upward, stunned, but still glaring up at him. “Now, now,” he taunted coolly, “don’t go passing out on us just yet. I thought Gohan trained you to endure more than that.”

You balled your hand up into a fist. How _dare_ they bring up your brother’s name so casually!? 

17 pulled you from the wall only to slam you against it once again, causing you to wince against your will. “That’s more like it.”

Just then, both 17 and 18 were thrown off of you, and you slid down the wall. Still on the floor, you opened your squinted eyes and looked up to see a familiar golden aura flaring strongly around Trunks who stood guarding you like you had done for him just moments prior. Wincing from the bruises, you pressed yourself against the wall as you steadily got to your feet. You took your fighter stance as soon as you stood beside Trunks; 17 and 18 hadn’t emerged from hiding yet which was odd for them. 

_‘I don’t like this, it’s too quiet.’_

“___,” Trunks whispered, “get your back against mine, they could be anywhere.”

You nodded and did as you were told, relieved that he didn’t sound angry with you for not staying in hiding. Fists clenching, your eyes scanned the area intently for the pair; not being able to sense them was only making things twice as difficult and they knew this. Seconds became minutes, but nothing came. 

“Help!!!” 

You and Trunks whipped your heads in the direction of the cry, and then it hit you: Bulma!

\- - - - - - - - - -  
**_End of Ch. 6_**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **(1)** I got the idea from a cute scene in Ayashi no Ceres/Ceres: Celestial Legend; anyone who’s seen/read the series should know what I’m talking about. I could just picture Gohan doing something like this to help his sister, if he had one, feel safe. He’s just sweet like that. :)


	7. Calm Before the Storm (Pt. I)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Thank You To My Lovely and Awesome Readers & Reviewers:**  
>   
> Yanelli  
> StayAWhileAndListen  
> zKatze  
> ElementOfHeart  
>  
> 
> This is the last pre-written chapter I currently have, so updates will be slow from here on out. I'll do my best to bring them out to you all as fast as I can. A couple of you have asked if whether or not the Reader character is in fact a Saiyan who's mother remained hidden. While I've already decided that she won't be a descendent of that race in particular, I'm currently pondering the possibility of her being descended of another race from the show that hardly ever gets mentioned at all (it'll be a surprise, but I think you guys will like it). She'll still have human DNA in her, of course, but let me know what do you guys think: Should Reader be a full-fledged human, or 3/4 human and 1/4 of {insert considered race here}?

_**Chapter 7  
Calm Before the Storm (Pt. I)  
**_ \- - - - - - - - - -

Both you and Trunks hurried towards the direction where Bulma’s scream came from. The blood from your forehead continued to run down your face, eventually getting in one of your eyes. You reflexively shut them and brought your hand up to rub your eye, which caused you to start lagging behind. Once he noticed you were no longer following him, Trunks quickly looked over his shoulder and, with a burst of ki, rushed over to you and quickly pulled you against him then murmured, “Hold on tight.”

Doing as instructed, you wrapped your arms around his neck then buried your face into the crook of it just before Trunks gathered his ki and flew towards the back of the basement at incredible speed.

= = = = = = = =

Bulma found herself cornered against a wall. Her blue eyes reflected unmasked fear due to the humanoid duo approaching her ever so slowly, like a lioness stalking its prey.

“Such a weak, pathetic human you are,” 17 remarked. “That still doesn’t make you less detestable from the rest.”

Bulma gulped, her hands frantically feeling alongside the wall for some means of defense. “S-stay back!”

The twins ignored her plea and continued to advance. 

“Weaklings don’t get to call the shots,” 18 replied, extending her right hand out and gathering energy for the blast. “You fragile creatures should stick to what you do best: scream and attempt to escape before we kill you.” 

Bulma’s face paled, her frame trembled. She was only human after all, there was no way she could fight off 17 and 18 on her own. “HELP!!!”

With inhuman speed, 17 was in front of her in the blink of an eye then raised his hand with a luminescent ki sphere, which caused Bulma to flinch. “Shut up, you noisy rat.”

Just then, a yellow blast shot out from the right, striking both androids through the wall on their left. Still trembling, Bulma cautiously cracked open one eye and slowly lifted her head in time to see her son rushing towards her. The blue-haired woman exhaled in relief, hand clutching her chest. “Oh, thank Kami!” 

“Mom—are you alright?!” 

Bulma took a deep breath then nodded. “Y-yeah; I think so.”

Trunks released a sigh of relief, his shoulders relaxed slightly before a serious look returned to his face. “We should get out of here while we still can, they could be back any second.” 

Shakily, Bulma nodded in agreement. “Alright, let’s hurry.”

Both Trunks and Bulma hurried towards the stairs, the former still carrying you. 

“I’m afraid to see all the damage upstairs,” Bulma murmured as she and Trunks hurried up the stairs. 

Thick clouds from the dust and plaster greeted the three of you, causing both Bulma and Trunks to shield their eyes and cover their mouths so not to breathe it in. You squinted and coughed from the thick particles lingering in the air. 

“Hang on, we’re almost there,” Trunks whispered when sensing your discomfort. 

When the light finally breached, it became easier to breathe, suggesting the three of you had managed to make it outside safely. You lifted your head and looked up at Trunks then to Bulma, the latter gasping at the sight of your wound. 

“Oh no, what happened to her?!” 

“The androids are suddenly after ___,” Trunks explained as he and Bulma continued running through the empty streets, occasionally stepping over or moving around any potholes, turned over vehicles, and other hazards blocking their path. “They’ve always been merciless, but for some reason killing ___ has become their main priority.” 

Once the three of you were far enough from the house, Bulma and Trunks gradually slowed down from running. Trunks turned towards his mother and his voice took on a pleading tone as he spoke more quietly, “Please look after her.”

Bulma inherited a look that could pass for either puzzled, or concern. “Wait, where are you going?”

“I just remembered that both my sword and the capsule with the Time Machine are still inside the house,” Trunks explained, “I’m going back inside to retrieve them.”

Hearing this caused your heart to race again. Even if 17 and 18 were mainly looking for you, knowing them, they would still have no qualms with eliminating Trunks, or using him as leverage to lure you to them, if they found him first. Right as Trunks was about to hand you over to Bulma, you quickly gripped onto the blue sleeve of Trunks’ jacket and looked up at his suddenly confused face, shaking your head pleadingly for him not to leave you again. 

Before he could try to reason with you, Bulma spoke up. “You know, I’m with __ on this one; I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to split up again either. It’s highly probable they’re still inside the house, waiting for us to return.” 

Trunks glanced at his mom, then back to you to see you nodding and not willing to relinquish your hold on his arm. “But the Time Machine—”

“Is here with me,” Bulma interrupted. “___ capsulated it back into its case and handed it to me just before the attack. We’ll have to retrieve your sword another time; our lives are more valuable.” 

Trunks pursed his lips then lowered his head. He slowly wrapped his arms around you. “You win…I’m not going anywhere,” he told you reassuringly. The worry in your chest dulled slightly after hearing that. Trunks glanced in the direction of Capsule Corp. in time to see a part of the roof cave in, before facing his mom again. “Where do we go from here?”

Bulma casted a glance towards the only home they’d ever known, then sighed before she turned to face her son. “The only thing we can do right now is look for refuge and get ___’s wound looked at.” 

Trunks nodded in agreement, then both he and Bulma searched for a place to hide.

= = = = = = = =

17 threw the boxes and broken equipment that had collapsed on him off before he got to his feet, wiping the trickle of blood from his chin with the back of his hand. Hand curling into a fist, he punched the nearest wall, creating a hole in the process. He was infuriated, more than he’d been in a long time.

Suddenly, he heard something fall to the floor and land near his feet. The raven-haired android retracted his fist, dust and wall plaster now covered said appendage. His eyes glanced towards the source of sound and found a hand gun lying in an opened box. He knelt down and picked it up, dusting it off before opening it and smirked when discovering it was already loaded. He closed the clip and turned off the safety before tucking it into his holster. 

“What are you so happy about?” asked 18 irritably, flying out of from the boxes scattered in her path and landing beside her counterpart. “They got away, remember?”

“I’m well aware of that,” 17 replied, ignoring the raised brow from 18 that questioned his state of sanity. “Let’s just say I found a new present.” 

Before 18 could speak, 17 withdrew the newly found weapon and held it up for his twin to see. 

“Since none our energy attacks have worked, we’ll just have to use a different method.”

= = = = = = = =

“Hello?” Bulma called out, knocking on the door of an underground lair. “Please, open up!”

When no reply from the other side came, you hung your head; another place deserted. As the three of you turned to leave, there came a sound of pattered footsteps from the other side. The small opening on the door slid open, revealing a pair of tired eyes on the other side. 

“Y-yes?” they timidly replied. 

“We need a temporary place to hide from the androids, plus one of us is injured,” Bulma explained.

The slip closed, and then the door opened. A young woman around her late teens stood in the entry. “Of course, right this way,” she replied, motioning for Trunks and Bulma to follow her. You tilted your head in attempt to see who this girl was, but could only see her back as she led the three of you down the stairs and through the hallway. She sounded vaguely familiar, but you couldn’t put your finger on it. 

Eventually coming up to a tarp draped over a clothesline hanger, the girl lifted the sheet then stood to the side. As Bulma and Trunks entered, the girl carefully made her way passed the other injured civilians and over to the last vacant cot. 

“Set her down here,” she instructed quietly. 

Trunks made his way over to the cot and did as instructed. You winced. 

The girl’s eyes widened once she saw the blood running down the side of your head. “I’ll be right back with a washcloth, make sure that she doesn’t fall asleep.”

True to her word, she returned with a bowl of water and a small first aid kit. Trunks scooted to the side so she could pull up a chair and sit at the bedside. 

“Will you sit her up for me?” she asked Trunks. 

The demi-Saiyan nodded and complied. 

Your eyes wandered around the room, still feeling slightly disoriented. Trunks sat behind you to help you sit up. Next, you felt a stinging and slight pressure when something pressed onto your forehead, causing you to flinch.

“It’s okay, ___,” Trunks whispered, gently stroking your hair.

The girl’s eyes widened, pausing from her current task. “___?” 

You cautiously nodded, feeling a bit uncomfortable that she knew your name while you still didn’t know hers. 

“Don’t you remember me? It’s me, Umi.” **(1)**

Suddenly, as if a light went off, your eyes widened and your muscles relaxed. 

Trunks looked at you then the other girl, then back at you. “You two know each other?”

Umi nodded, then resumed to cleaning the blood off your forehead. “It’s been a few years since we’ve last seen each other, though.”

She stopped there. Given the circumstances from your meeting four years back, you couldn’t blame her for not wanting to go into more detail. Luckily, Trunks didn’t pry further. She didn’t appear nervous about Trunks being in the room, leaving you curious if she had overcome her fear of men or if it was because you were in the room as well. 

“There. All done,” Umi told you, once finished and placing a dressing over your wound.

= = = = = = = =

The room darkened as the day went on until the sun eventually disappeared behind the horizon. So much had happened, making it feel more like months, even years had passed instead of only a day.

You slowly sat up, then quietly and carefully scooted off of the cot and made your way out of the room. It wouldn’t do you any good to just lie there while you had a lot on your mind, so you planned on walking around for a bit to help you think. 

The sound of approaching footsteps from behind caused all further thoughts to cease. Looking over your shoulder quickly and stepping into a fighter’s stance out of habit, your eyes widened in surprised when you saw Umi standing there. 

“Is everything alright?” she asked. 

You smiled appreciatively and nodded as you relaxed your tense form.

Umi walked over to the window and stared outside. “It’s so good to see you again; I haven’t seen a familiar face the entire time I’ve been here,” she explained as she averted her gaze then stared out towards the window. “I had barely managed to find this hideout after the androids attacked my city, but I got separated from my family as we were escaping. I haven’t seen them since or even know if…” she paused then shook her head. “I just hope that they’re all safe.” She then turned to you. “What about you? Were those things after you and your party as well?” You hesitantly nodded and much to your surprise, not to mention relief, Umi smiled reassuringly. “Well, thankfully, the androids haven’t discovered this hideout; so you three are all safe here.” 

You bit on your lower lip and averted your gaze. _‘If they haven’t found this place, then it’s all the more reason that I shouldn’t stay here for long.’_

= = = = = = = =

After a week of recuperating, Bulma, Trunks and you agreed it was best to head out. You couldn’t allow the risk of letting 17 or 18 find the hideout and endanger every survivor within. The androids hadn’t made a single appearance and if it weren’t for the ruined buildings and roads to serve as a reminder, one may question if the two monsters ever existed.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay?” Umi asked. 

You nodded then bowed, thankful that your jaw was no longer in pain for you to talk. “Thanks, but I need to contact my mom and let her know that I’m still alive; thank you so much for everything you’ve done for us.” 

Umi nodded in understanding. “I see. Umm, do you think I might be able to see you again?”

Your eyes widened for a second, but soon smiled and gave a thumbs up. “Sure, let’s stay in touch.”

And with that, you turned and ran to join up with Bulma and Trunks. The three of you agreed it was best to take you home first and fill Chichi in on what happened, and perhaps see if she had heard anything regarding the androids.

= = = = = = = =

As the three of you finally reached your house, you began to realize just how grateful you were to see it again, but at the same time felt for Trunks and Bulma and their situation of having to evacuate their home, knowing that it may not be there when they returned.

 _‘Maybe I ought to ask Mom if they could live here for a while,’_ you thought before bringing your hand up to knock on the door. You stepped back in time to avoid the door smacking you in the face as it flung open. 

“Oh my gosh—where have you been?!” asked Chichi, rushing over toward and embracing you into a tight hug. “I’ve been so _worried_! Why didn’t you call me?”

You glanced at your mom and heard her sobbing on your shoulder, then hugged her back. “I’m really sorry, Mom.” Chichi slowly pulled back and wiped her eyes before shakily taking a deep breath. “The truth is I didn’t have access to any phones.”

Chichi then looked passed you and noticed Trunks and Bulma standing there. “Did something happen in the city?”

Bulma hung her head and nodded. “It’s a long story, actually.” 

Chichi nodded. “Let’s all go inside then.”

= = = = = = = =

“And that’s what’s happened so far,” Bulma concluded, after explaining the situation to Chichi.

The four of you now sat at the kitchen table. Sitting next to Trunks, you glanced over towards him and saw despondency in his eyes. With your hand under the table, you reached over and slipped your hand into his, gently lacing your fingers between his. Trunks quickly looked at you and smiled softly before gently squeezing your hand appreciatively. 

“That’s just awful…” Chichi declared. “How could those… _things_ be so vicious?”

“They’re machines,” was your reply to the rhetorical question. All eyes in the room turned to you. “Machines don’t feel compassion or empathy for anyone.” 

“She’s right. The good news, however, is we did manage to make it out of there alive, and we still have the Time Machine,” Bulma said, trying to stay optimistic. 

You faced your mom, who sat across the table from you next to Bulma. “Hey, Mom?”

“Yes?”

You swallowed the lump in your throat before continuing. You hadn’t asked your boyfriend and his mother the question beforehand, but you didn’t like the idea of them being possibly homeless either. “Would it alright if Trunks and Bulma stayed here for awhile?”

Chichi blinked, then looked at the two. “Well, what would you both like?”

Bulma and Trunks looked at each other then looked at Chichi again. 

“As long as it’s not any trouble,” Bulma replied, smiling.

\- - - - - - - - - -  
**_End of Ch. 7_**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **(1)** An OC from my first Trunks story. I had a couple of readers asking me if whether or not I would include her in the sequel, and after a bit of brainstorming, I decided to bring her back for this story. :) Her name translates Ocean (or Sea), I believe. Please inform me if I’m wrong.


End file.
